Introduction

In order to submit your first atlas card you need to follow these steps:

• Register as an atlaser.
• Understand the difference between a full protocol and adhoc protocol card.
• Download the app BirdLasser
• Capture your data.
• Submit your data.

Below you will find some resources which will guide you. If you need assistance please send an email to michael.brooks@uct.ac.za. We will attempt to answer your question or bring you into contact with a person who is an experienced atlaser, an atlas buddy, who can assist you directly. For a list of atlas buddies and where they live, see table at the end of this page.

Registering as an observer

In order to participate and submit you data must register as a 'Citizen Scientist'. To register, click here. As soon as you are registered you will receive your Observer Card, Citizen Scientist No. and a login password. NOTE: If you already have an ADU Observer Number (from CWAC, BIRP, or CAR) you can use this for African Bird Atlas Project. If you require a password click here, complete the fields and click on Send.

Atlas Protocol

The following document sets out the simple atlas protocol to follow. Please read it carefully and follow the protocol as accurately as possible. While this document is branded as SABAP2, it is the same protocol that is used by all BirdMap projects throughout Africa

Obtaining the relevant maps for atlasing

You will need maps in order do your surveys. You need to know where the atlas blocks, called pentads, are located and the boundaries of each pentad. Identifying access routes and different landscape elements are also vital elements when planning a survey and the maps will assist you. The African Bird Atlas Project website is the best place to find the pentad boundaries. For example visit African Bird Atlas Project - zoom into the area you are interested in and double click on an atlas block. It will open a Google Earth type map with the pentad in the middle. Zoom in to see details about roads and land features within the pentad. At the bottom of the map you can get more details of the species seen in the pentad as well as who have submitted data. Another great way to see the pentad boundaries is by using the mobile app BirdLasser. After you have created a trip card open map view and you will see the pentad boundaries (you need to enable atlasing mode in order to see the boundaries). You will also be able to see your location, a small blue dot, in relation to the pentad boundaries.

Capturing and submitting your data

There are basically two ways to submit your data:

• BirdLasser is a mobile app with which you can record and submit data. The atlas protocol is built into the app. You can also view the pentad boundaries on a Google Earth map within the app. See www.birdlasser.com for more information. You can also write to Birdlasser for more information.
• You can capture your data online. Log in on the African Bird Atlas Project website and on the next screen follow the "Add Data" and "Add Survey/Cards" menu items. Complete the relevant fields as required.

Social Media and important websites

Please visit our Facebook page and group where regular reports about the African Bird Atlas Project project are published. The links are:

• Facebook Page
• Facebook Group

Websites

 South African Bird Atlas Project 
 Kenya Bird Map 
 Nigerian Bird Atlas Project 

Contacts

SN	Name	Country	Email
1	Bruktawit Abdu	Ethiopia	brukabdu.m (at) gmail.com
2	Oliver Fox	Gambia	oliver.jl.fox (at) gmail.com
3	Joseph Afrifa	Ghana	joseph.afrifa (at) stu.ucc.edu.gh
4	Sidney Shema	Kenya	kenyabirdmap (at) naturekenya.org
5	Clara Cassell-Jud	Liberia	cnaomi.cassl (at) gmail.com
6	Hazell Thompson	Sierra Leone	hazellt_2003 (at) yahoo.co.uk
7	Judith Mirembe	Uganda	judith.mirembe.7 (at) gmail.com

 

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