I have set up this post primarily for the benefit of those who would like to contribute toward the above discussion. Raptor road surveys are conducted throughout the world. It makes sense to standardize a cost-efficient system where data are collected with the minimum of effort. Simon Thomsett and I have been collecting raptor road data for many years. Basically we start at a set point, note down weather conditions, we zero in on the odometer and drive at between 50 and 60 km/h (naturally we do slow down when we are in protected areas). I deally we try and make each “section” to be more than 50 km. Dr Keith Bildstein from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Dr March Bechard from Boise State University were recently in Kenya and we had the opportunity to travel together and exchanged views about data collection techniques. I must admit that I learned a lot from them. I am hoping that this post can once again help spur some valuable discussions about what sort of data are needed so that data collection is standardized and consistent across Africa.
Munir Virani
The Peregrine Fund
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Montagu’s Harrier research in the Sahel
