Flight initiation distance protocol (Megapodiidae)

Knowledge graph centered on Flight initiation distance protocol (Megapodiidae) with 43 nodes and 133 connections. Top connected: Developing an evolutionary ecology of fear: how li, Marmota flaviventris, Parus major, Zonotrichia leucophrys, Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha.

Method synopsis

Standardized approach to measure the distance at which birds flee when approached by humans at a steady pace. Involves recording starting distance, approaching at 0.5 m/s, and measuring the distance when the bird initiates escape behavior.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 1 paper using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Developing an evolutionary ecology of fear: how life history and natural history traits affect disturbance tolerance in birds (2006), Animal Behaviour. Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Locate and approach target birds
   Assistants and researcher focused on birds that were foraging or engaged in 'relaxed behaviours' such as preening or roosting. Highly vigilant and obviously alarmed birds were not approached, nor were nesting individuals or endangered species.
   Quantities: 150 species representing 107 genera and 40 families were studiedDuration: Not specifiedConditions: Birds had to be in relaxed behavioral states, not nesting or endangered
   Equipment: measuring devices for distance
2. Record starting distance and approach bird
   Observer noted the distance that they started walking towards birds (starting distance), then approached the focal bird at a steady pace of approximately 0.5 m/s. Observer noted the distance when they started walking and the distance at which the focal bird moved away.
   Quantities: Approach speed of approximately 0.5 m/s, starting distances ranged from 8.0 to 103.8 mDuration: Single approach per observationConditions: Steady walking pace maintained throughout approach
   Equipment: measuring devices for distance estimation
3. Measure flight initiation distance
   Recorded the distance at which the focal bird moved away (FID horizontal), either on foot or by flight in response to the approach. Also noted the height the bird was off the ground if it was off the ground. From horizontal FID measurement and perching height, calculated 'direct' FID using formula: FID direct = square root of (FID horizontal squared + perching height squared).

Typical Equipment

• measuring devices for distance

Output Measurements

• flight initiation distance
• starting distance
• direct FID

Papers Using This Protocol (1)

Species Studied With This Protocol