LaMNA Data Tools

Band Tracking Tool

We have partnered with Pablo Elizondo and Aves de Costa Rica in their efforts to track bird bands that they assign to permittees from their office. Together, we created a data tracking system that will allow them to keep track of permits, contacts, band inventory, and bands assigned and returned. With a few modifications, this program can be modified for other organizations to use in their operations.

This band tracker is now up and running in Costa Rica. Pablo Elizondo reports on the program in the October 2009 LaMNA Newsletter.

We will soon make the database available with sample data that you can download (the entry portal is pictured here). You will be able to work with the tools and queries, as well as enter new data as you explore how the database functions.

Banding Data Entry Program

Computer technology has advanced to the point that it is very feasible to have laptop computers in the field to enter data as it is being collected (or at least on the same day!). We are developing a banding data entry program to enter both net hours (information on the collection day and location) as well as individual bird data. The two types of data will be directly linked. It will allow users to have as fine a detail as the open and close times on individual nets for a given day.

One of the concerns with any data recording system is the amount of errors that creep in due to misrecorded data or typographical errors. Our program includes data validation rules that allows (or doesn't allow!) certain characters in a field; for instance, in the field for month, you would not be able to enter 13. There are over 40 different validation rules to ensure the highest data quality. Any identified errors can either be corrected or retained and highlighted. Rules could be changed based on data collection protocol at an individual organization.

We will have a beta version here soon!