Aims and contents of this document *Section 1: Using the menus to do things quickly and easily *
Data sets held in the Avifaunal Database *
Opening the database *Section 2: Structure and design of the Avifaunal Database *
The Main Menu *Extract data (display or export results) *
Extract data (as a formatted report to print) *
Enter data *
Check / edit data *
Open bibliography *
Open the on-line manual for this database *
Exit this screen and go to the database window *
Exit from the database *
The Relational Database concept *Section 3: Practical uses of the database and how to design new queries and reports to achieve them *
Organisation and naming of data sets *Central tables *Database Maintenance *
SABAP Data *
Raptor Road Count Data *
Wetland Data *
Museum Data *
Nest Record Card Data *
Damara Tern Nest Record Data *
Endemics Data *
Example queries *
The Avifaunal database project was funded under the Namibia National Biodiversity Programme, by GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit). The Biodiversity programme was initiated by Dr Chris Brown, and is co-ordinated from the Directorate of Environmental Affairs (DEA) by Dr Phoebe Barnard. In addition to their valuable input, much additional help and support throughout the duration of the project was received from Drs Rob Simmons and John Mendelsohn.
The majority of the data now stored in the database were collected by members of the public over the last 20 years or so, including many MET staff, Bird Club members and private individuals. Without such enthusiastic support from the public, Namibia’s birds would be less well known and these data would be much less valuable.
We are grateful to a number of people including Aletta Platt, Chrizelda Ruhl, Letitia Britz and Fiona Trewby for undertaking the task of converting huge piles of paper and old record cards into computerised data.
We also thank the head, and staff, of the DEA for their help and support during this project and for providing a stimulating and enjoyable work environment..
Many more data have been collected on birds in Namibia than any other group of species. These data represent an extremely valuable source of information on a variety of aspects such as recent and historical distributions, density, breeding characteristics and habitat use and can potentially be used for numerous purposes such as conservation and management planning, ecological or behavioural studies. This database contains data from many sources. By using data from several sources, it is often possible to derive an 'overall picture' which is not provided by using just one data set alone. When used in conjunction with comparable data on other taxa e.g. plants, mammals and reptiles, these data will provide a unique and invaluable management and planning tool. Some potential uses of the bird data are:
The Avifaunal Database Project started in January 1997,
with the aim of entering all of Namibia's bird data onto a database, developing
a user-friendly interface to facilitate the easy use of these data by people
with an interest in biodiversity and conservation and doing some preliminary
data analyses. A key objective of the project was to produce a database
that could be used as a model system for other taxa, demonstrating the
benefits of compiling data onto a powerful, yet user-friendly, system.
This document describes the Namibian Avifaunal Database (which is housed
at the Directorate of Environmental Affairs in Windhoek) and explains how
to use it.
Aims and contents of this document
This document aims to summarise and describe the information held within the database, giving sufficient information to enable the continuing input and extraction of data.
In order to facilitate maximum use of the database, a menu system and user interface has been developed to allow easy data entry and the extraction of many commonly requested data summaries. The menus are run by clicking on buttons to select options and do not require the user to have any knowledge of how the database works. Section 1 (page *) describes all the options of the menus and gives step-by-step instructions for entering data, extracting and saving data and producing formatted reports.
People wishing to use the database to carry out tasks that are not possible through the customised menus will need to have an understanding of the database structure, tables and relationships (as well as a basic knowledge of Access) in order to design new queries and reports. These aspects of the database are described in Section 2 (page *).
Section 3 (page *)
describes some example uses, and potential uses, of the database, and illustrates
these using existing example queries set up for these types of analyses.
Data sets held in the Avifaunal Database
The database contains six substantial data sets with related
species and geographical information. The data sets are:
Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) data
The SABAP was a huge public participation project covering the southern African region; the results of the project were published in the two-volume Atlas of Southern African Birds in 1997. Bird Atlas data were collected in Namibia between 1970 and 1993; some historical data were also incorporated. Data were collected in the form of species lists at the resolution of quarter degree squares (QDS; c. 27 x 27 km) and calendar month. Proven or suspected breeding activity was also recorded. The Namibian dataset contains over half a million records of 605 species.
Uses of these data include
The Raptor Road Count project was launched in 1977 and data collection has continued since then, though in recent years interest has tailed off. This is a public participation project whereby raptors and storks are recorded whilst driving along roads and tracks throughout the country. For each observation, the time of day, species, number of birds and odometer is recorded, with additional information on activity and age often being recorded. The amount of data collected by this project is impressive: by 1997 over 300 people had been involved, recording 116 551 birds, of 63 species of raptors during 1.2 million km of driving throughout the whole country.
Uses of these data include
Regular bird counts at selected wetlands and coastal sites throughout the country have been undertaken since 1991, with some earlier information also available for a few sites e.g. Walvis Bay and Sandwich. Data are recorded on IWRB (Wetlands International) forms. Counts have generally been made during the months of January, April and/or July, though few sites have been counted at every count date and many new sites have been added since 1991.
Although a lot is already known about the local and international importance of some of Namibia's wetlands, there are many aspects we still don't know enough about. Many of the wetlands in Caprivi are poorly known, for example, and information on the importance of Namibia's wetlands to migratory birds is limited. With regular counts over many years it will be possible to identify trends in wetlands use by different groups of birds, and thus identify particularly important wetlands. Some wetlands may qualify as Ramsar sites on the basis of regularly supporting >1% of a species population. Recognition of the importance of Namibia's wetlands to resident and migratory birds as well as other animals and plants may enhance their perceived conservation value and protection status.
Uses of these data include
Many museums around the world hold ornithological specimens that were originally collected in Namibia, some dating back to expeditions made in the early 1800s and before. By January 1999, the database contained information on over 24 000 specimens. For many species, particularly larks, weavers and finches there are several hundred specimens, with Sabota lark topping the list with almost 500 specimens. Most specimens have associated information on the collection date and locality, although for some this is simply "Damaraland" or "Kaokoveld".
Uses of these data include
Nest record data have been collected on nest record cards for many years, with some additional data going back to the 1800's. Nests are recorded either as single nests or breeding colonies. By January 1999, several species had over 100 nest records, particularly those which have been the focus of research projects, with lappetfaced vulture topping the list at over 300 cards. Others with over 100 cards include ostrich, whitefronted plover and African marsh warbler.
Uses of these data include
The Damara Tern is near-endemic to Namibia and recent population estimates put its population size at around 13 500 birds. In addition to data collected under the Nest Record scheme, detailed data on Damara Tern breeding have been collected systematically throughout its range. In addition to date and locality information, data are collected on nest contents, chick activity, predation and habitat.
Uses of these data include
The database also contains data on 10 of Namibia's inland endemic species, based on fieldwork carried out during 7 months in 1996. These data represent predicted numbers of each species in each QDS in Namibia, and a diversity ranking (Shannon Index) based on these predictions.
Uses of these data include
The database is opened by clicking on the Avifaunal Database
icon on the desktop screen that appears when the computer is switched on.
When the database is opened a main menu appears which gives you several
options. Clicking on any of the options takes you to another menu, and
so on. Items listed on the menus allow you to extract data such as lists
of species for a quarter degree square (QDS), museum specimens for a particular
species or all species in Namibia. In most cases, when you select one of
these options you will be prompted to choose, for example, the species
or QDS for which you want data. Depending on the menu item you choose,
a spreadsheet or report will open which can then be exported, mapped or
printed.
The Main menu presents a set of options which, when selected, open sub-menus with further options for data entry, extraction etc. Each of these sub-menus has an option Return to previous menu, allowing easy navigation within the menu system. The Main Menu is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Main menu which
appears on opening the database.
There are 9 options which are described in the following
sections.
The Main menu opens automatically when the database
is opened and you are returned to it after selecting options from the menu.
However, if you have left the menu system using the Exit this screen...
option and the Main Menu is not showing, you can return to it at any time
by clicking on the Forms tab and then on Switchboard.
Extract data (display or export results)
This menu option is designed to facilitate the extraction of data from the database in a format which can easily be exported into other software packages, for example, word processing, spreadsheet or mapping packages.
There are seven options which are described in the following
sections:
General species information
The following four queries access all data sets to extract the required data.
| Roberts' | Species | Latin name | SABAP (no records) | SABAP (no QDS) | Museum specimens | Nest records | Road count records | Wetland records |
| 1 | Ostrich | Struthio camelus | 4509 | 588 | 11 | 149 | 2 | |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | Spheniscus demersus | 123 | 29 | 13 | 15 | 27 | |
| 6 | Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | 131 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 30 | |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 624 | 73 | 30 | 35 | 134 | |
| 8 | Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 2013 | 232 | 36 | 67 | 268 | |
| 10 | Wandering Albatross | Diomedea exulans | 1 | 1 |
| Protected Area Name | Roberts' | Species | Latin name | SABAP records | SABAP no QDS | Museum specimens | Nest records | Road count obs | Wetland records |
| Mahango Game Reserve | 1 | Ostrich | Struthio camelus | 48 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Mahango Game Reserve | 8 | Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 13 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Mahango Game Reserve | 49 | White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Mahango Game Reserve | 50 | Pinkbacked Pelican | Pelecanus rufescens | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Mahango Game Reserve | 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | 19 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Mahango Game Reserve | 57 | Bank Cormorant | Phalacrocorax neglectus | 1 |
| QDS | Roberts' | Species | Latin name | SABAP records | Museum specimens | Nest records | Road count obs | Wetland records |
| 2217CA | 1 | Ostrich | Struthio camelus | 4 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2217CA | 6 | Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | 2 | ||||
| 2217CA | 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 19 | 27 | |||
| 2217CA | 8 | Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 203 | 7 | 1 | 47 | |
| 2217CA | 49 | White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | 104 | 7 | |||
| 2217CA | 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | 168 | 10 | 10 |
| QDS | No of species |
| 1714AC | 241 |
| 1714AD | 171 |
| 1714BC | 82 |
| 1714BD | 113 |
| 1714CA | 20 |
| 1714CB | 33 |
| Roberts' no | Species name | Latin name | Red data status |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | Spheniscus demersus | critically endangered |
| 6 | Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | critically endangered |
| 49 | White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | endangered |
| 50 | Pinkbacked Pelican | Pelecanus rufescens | endangered |
| 53 | Cape Gannet | Morus capensis | endangered |
| 59 | Crowned Cormorant | Phalacrocorax coronatus | endangered |
| 70 | Slaty Egret | Egretta vinaceigula | endangered |
| Roberts' no | Species name | Latin name |
| 1 | Ostrich | Struthio camelus |
| 2 | King Penguin | Aptenodytes patagonicus |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | Spheniscus demersus |
| 4 | Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome |
| 5 | Macaroni Penguin | Eudyptes chrysolophus |
| 6 | Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus |
There are three options:
| Roberts | Species | QDS | Total records | Total cards | Rep Rate |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | 1812CD | 1 | 41 | 0.02 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | 1912BA | 1 | 61 | 0.02 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | 2013AC | 1 | 42 | 0.02 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | 2013CD | 1 | 92 | 0.01 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | 2113BA | 2 | 242 | 0.01 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | 2113DB | 1 | 70 | 0.01 |
If only one species is selected, results from this query can be mapped by selecting Map results from the menu (see page * for details on how to map results). The resulting mapped output will look similar to Figure 3.
Figure 3 Sample map from "List QDS and reporting rates for selected species" from the Extract SABAP data by QDS menu, when only one species is selected.
| QDS | Roberts | Species | No of SABAP records | No of SABAP cards | Rep rate |
| 1712AB | 1 | Ostrich | 2 | 5 | 0.40 |
| 1712AB | 60 | Darter | 3 | 5 | 0.60 |
| 1712AB | 64 | Goliath Heron | 1 | 5 | 0.20 |
| 1712AB | 67 | Little Egret | 1 | 5 | 0.20 |
| 1712AB | 74 | Greenbacked Heron | 2 | 5 | 0.40 |
| 1712AB | 81 | Hamerkop | 2 | 5 | 0.40 |
| Robert's no | Species | SABAP records | No SABAP cards | Rep rate for selected QDS |
| 1 | Ostrich | 2.00 | 7 | 0.29 |
| 8 | Dabchick | 2.00 | 7 | 0.29 |
| 49 | White Pelican | 1.00 | 7 | 0.14 |
| 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | 2.00 | 7 | 0.29 |
| 58 | Reed Cormorant | 1.00 | 7 | 0.14 |
| 60 | Darter | 1.00 | 7 | 0.14 |
| Roberts | Species | Month | QDS | No of SABAP records | No of SABAP cards |
| 62 | Grey Heron | Apr | 1711BC | 1 | 1 |
| 62 | Grey Heron | Apr | 1711BD | 1 | 2 |
| 62 | Grey Heron | Apr | 1712AA | 1 | 3 |
| 62 | Grey Heron | Apr | 1714AC | 1 | 5 |
| 62 | Grey Heron | Apr | 1714DB | 1 | 1 |
| 62 | Grey Heron | Apr | 1714DD | 1 | 3 |
If only one species is selected, results from this query can be mapped (see page *). If you choose Map results, you will be prompted to indicate which month you want to map by typing in the first three letters of the month e.g. Jan. the mapped output will look similar to Figure 4.
Figure 4 Sample map obtained by selecting "Extract records by month for selected species" from the Extract SABAP data by QDS menu, and selecting one month for one species.
| Roberts | Species | Month/Year | QDS | No of SABAP records | No of SABAP cards |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Jan/1983 | 1912BD | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Jan/1983 | 2214DC | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Jan/1983 | 2314AD | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Feb/1983 | 1816DD | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Feb/1983 | 2417BD | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Feb/1983 | 2615CA | 1 | 1 |
| Roberts | Species | No of SABAP records | No of QDS | Area of QDS (km2) | Communal (km2) | Farms Communal (km2) | Mining Area (km2) | Protected Area (km2) | Tourist Area (km2) | Commercial Area (km2) |
| 96 | Greater Flamingo | 1226 | 104 | 61290 | 11663 | 3845 | 1153 | 22297 | 3111 | 19744 |
| 97 | Lesser Flamingo | 1111 | 87 | 49082 | 11677 | 1944 | 1588 | 19509 | 4143 | 10061 |
| 99 | Whitefaced Duck | 222 | 72 | 41092 | 16427 | 2651 | 154 | 8016 | 0 | 13963 |
| 100 | Fulvous Duck | 79 | 33 | 19838 | 13541 | 1180 | 154 | 2979 | 0 | 2147 |
| 101 | Whitebacked Duck | 108 | 33 | 21362 | 7169 | 6 | 0 | 3494 | 344 | 11243 |
| 102 | Egyptian Goose | 3185 | 358 | 230889 | 43632 | 16726 | 2478 | 37261 | 1558 | 129843 |
| QDS | No of species |
| 1613CC | 90 |
| 1613CD | 184 |
| 1711BB | 109 |
| 1711BC | 110 |
| 1711BD | 122 |
| 1711DA | 14 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from
the menu (see page *).
| QDS | No of cards |
| 1613CC | 5 |
| 1613CD | 10 |
| 1711BB | 6 |
| 1711BC | 15 |
| 1711BD | 13 |
| 1711DA | 4 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from
the menu (see page *).
| QDS | No of cards | Roberts | Species | non breeding | suspected breeding | proven breeding | eggs | chicks | eggs and chicks | dependent fledgling |
| 2216DB | 252 | 1 | Ostrich | 27 | ||||||
| 2216DB | 252 | 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 2 | ||||||
| 2216DB | 252 | 8 | Dabchick | 167 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2216DB | 252 | 49 | White Pelican | 12 | ||||||
| 2216DB | 252 | 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | 108 | ||||||
| 2216DB | 252 | 58 | Reed Cormorant | 96 |
| HDS | Roberts' | Species | SABAP records | No of SABAP cards | Rep rate |
| 1613C | 148 | African Fish Eagle | 6 | 15 | 0.40 |
| 1711B | 148 | African Fish Eagle | 3 | 34 | 0.09 |
| 1712A | 148 | African Fish Eagle | 1 | 31 | 0.03 |
| 1713A | 148 | African Fish Eagle | 7 | 41 | 0.17 |
| 1713B | 148 | African Fish Eagle | 7 | 25 | 0.28 |
| 1714A | 148 | African Fish Eagle | 22 | 44 | 0.50 |
If only one species is selected, these results can be mapped by selecting Map results from the menu (see page *). The resulting mapped output will look similar to Figure 5.
Figure 5 Sample map obtained by selecting "List reporting rates for selected species" from the Extract SABAP data by HDS menu, when only one species is selected.
| HDS | No of species |
| 1613C | 193 |
| 1711B | 150 |
| 1711D | 30 |
| 1712A | 161 |
| 1712B | 83 |
| 1712C | 61 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from
the menu (see page *).
| HDS | No of cards |
| 1613C | 15 |
| 1711B | 34 |
| 1711D | 16 |
| 1712A | 31 |
| 1712B | 11 |
| 1712C | 24 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from the menu (see page *). The resulting mapped output will look similar to Figure 6.
Figure 6 Sample map obtained by selecting "List number of cards per HDS" from the Extract SABAP data by HDS menu.
| Protected Area | Robert's no | Species | SABAP records | No SABAP cards | Park rep rate | No QDS included |
| Etosha National Park | 1 | Ostrich | 1370 | 2026 | 0.68 | 41 |
| Etosha National Park | 6 | Great Crested Grebe | 5 | 2026 | 0.00 | 41 |
| Etosha National Park | 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 47 | 2026 | 0.02 | 41 |
| Etosha National Park | 8 | Dabchick | 273 | 2026 | 0.13 | 41 |
| Etosha National Park | 49 | White Pelican | 91 | 2026 | 0.04 | 41 |
| Etosha National Park | 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | 7 | 2026 | 0.00 | 41 |
| Park | QDS | Longitude | Latitude |
| Skeleton Coast Park | 1711BB | 11.875 | -17.125 |
| Skeleton Coast Park | 1711BC | 11.625 | -17.375 |
| Skeleton Coast Park | 1711BD | 11.875 | -17.375 |
| Skeleton Coast Park | 1711DA | 11.625 | -17.625 |
| Skeleton Coast Park | 1711DB | 11.875 | -17.625 |
| Skeleton Coast Park | 1711DD | 11.875 | -17.875 |
| Region | QDS | Longitude | Latitude |
| Caprivi | 1721CC | 21.125 | -17.875 |
| Caprivi | 1721CD | 21.375 | -17.875 |
| Caprivi | 1721DC | 21.625 | -17.875 |
| Caprivi | 1721DD | 21.875 | -17.875 |
| Caprivi | 1722CC | 22.125 | -17.875 |
| Caprivi | 1722CD | 22.375 | -17.875 |
| Zone | Zone description | Quarter degree square |
| 1 | Northern Namib | 1711BB |
| 1 | Northern Namib | 1711BC |
| 1 | Northern Namib | 1711BD |
| 1 | Northern Namib | 1711DA |
| 1 | Northern Namib | 1711DB |
| 1 | Northern Namib | 1711DD |
| Zone | Season | Species | No birds | km | birds/100km |
| 1 | 84-wet | Whitebacked vulture | 1 | 3804 | 0.03 |
| 1 | 85-dry | Whitebacked vulture | 1 | 4556 | 0.02 |
| 1 | 87-wet | Whitebacked vulture | 5 | 2668 | 0.19 |
| 1 | 88-wet | Whitebacked vulture | 5 | 1656 | 0.30 |
| 2 | 83-dry | Whitebacked vulture | 16 | 11243 | 0.14 |
| 2 | 83-wet | Whitebacked vulture | 2 | 9444 | 0.02 |
| Species | Hour | Activity | Count | Total count | Proportion |
| Tawny Eagle | 06 | P | 4 | 4 | 1.00 |
| Tawny Eagle | 07 | F | 4 | 33 | 0.12 |
| Tawny Eagle | 07 | G | 1 | 33 | 0.03 |
| Tawny Eagle | 07 | P | 28 | 33 | 0.85 |
| Tawny Eagle | 08 | F | 19 | 65 | 0.29 |
| Tawny Eagle | 08 | G | 1 | 65 | 0.02 |
(F = flying; P = perched; G = on ground).
| Species | Zone | Natural/Artificial | Substrate | no obs art/nat | total no obs | prop use |
| Blackbreasted Snake Eagle | 1 | Artificial | Telephone pole | 1 | 22 | 4.55 |
| Blackbreasted Snake Eagle | 1 | Natural | Dead tree | 1 | 22 | 4.55 |
| Blackbreasted Snake Eagle | 1 | Natural | Green tree | 17 | 22 | 77.27 |
| Blackbreasted Snake Eagle | 1 | Natural | Rocks/boulders | 2 | 22 | 9.09 |
| Blackbreasted Snake Eagle | 1 | Natural | Short vegetation | 1 | 22 | 4.55 |
| Blackbreasted Snake Eagle | 2 | Artificial | Fence post | 1 | 61 | 1.64 |
| Species | Season | No birds | Prop ad | Prop imm |
| Bateleur | 77-dry | 1 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Bateleur | 77-wet | 2 | 50.00 | 50.00 |
| Bateleur | 78-dry | 5 | 40.00 | 60.00 |
| Bateleur | 78-wet | 1 | 100.00 | 0.00 |
| Bateleur | 79-wet | 2 | 50.00 | 50.00 |
| Bateleur | 80-dry | 1 | 100.00 | 0.00 |
| Month/Year | Route | 1km Section | Longitude | Latitude | Times travelled | Observations |
| Apr-84 | 4 | 1 | 16.13948 | -20.09468 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr-84 | 4 | 2 | 16.14803 | -20.09878 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr-84 | 4 | 3 | 16.15237 | -20.10651 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr-84 | 4 | 4 | 16.1549 | -20.11511 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr-84 | 4 | 5 | 16.15528 | -20.12397 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr-84 | 4 | 6 | 16.15789 | -20.1325 | 1 | 0 |
| Month | Route | 1km Section | Longitude | Latitude | Times travelled | Observations |
| Apr | 14 | 1 | 18.09906 | -19.56707 | 6 | 1 |
| Apr | 14 | 2 | 18.09012 | -19.56994 |