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 | 6 | 0 |
| Apr | 14 | 3 | 18.08144 | -19.57362 | 6 | 0 |
| Apr | 14 | 4 | 18.07275 | -19.57738 | 6 | 0 |
| Apr | 14 | 5 | 18.06387 | -19.5806 | 6 | 0 |
| Apr | 14 | 6 | 18.05461 | -19.58205 | 6 | 0 |
| Route | 1km Section | Longitude | Latitude | Times travelled | Observations |
| 13 | 1 | 14.50045 | -19.25039 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | 2 | 14.50769 | -19.24507 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | 14.51459 | -19.2389 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | 4 | 14.5176 | -19.23046 | 6 | 1 |
| 13 | 5 | 14.51908 | -19.22142 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | 6 | 14.52091 | -19.21256 | 6 | 0 |
| Month/Year | Route | 1km Section | Longitude | Latitude | Times travelled | Species | No birds |
| Sep-84 | 4 | 2 | 16.14803 | -20.09878 | 2 | ||
| Sep-84 | 4 | 3 | 16.15237 | -20.10651 | 2 | ||
| Sep-84 | 4 | 4 | 16.1549 | -20.11511 | 2 | ||
| Sep-84 | 4 | 5 | 16.15528 | -20.12397 | 2 | Tawny Eagle | 1 |
| Sep-84 | 4 | 6 | 16.15789 | -20.1325 | 2 | ||
| Sep-84 | 4 | 7 | 16.1633 | -20.13985 | 2 |
| Month | Route | 1km Section | Longitude | Latitude | Times travelled | Species | No birds |
| Jan | 19 | 1 | 24.30856 | -17.53769 | 3 | ||
| Jan | 19 | 2 | 24.30536 | -17.54473 | 3 | Black Kite/Yellowbilled Kite | 2 |
| Jan | 19 | 3 | 24.30634 | -17.55318 | 3 | ||
| Jan | 19 | 4 | 24.30775 | -17.56201 | 3 | ||
| Jan | 19 | 5 | 24.30689 | -17.5708 | 3 | Black Kite/Yellowbilled Kite | 1 |
| Jan | 19 | 6 | 24.30487 | -17.57971 | 3 |
| Route | 1km Section | Longitude | Latitude | Times travelled | Species | No of birds |
| 5 | 0 | 15.89626 | -19.14647 | 1 | Pale Chanting Goshawk | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 15.90588 | -19.14693 | 1 | Pale Chanting Goshawk | 4 |
| 5 | 2 | 15.90842 | -19.15576 | 1 | Pale Chanting Goshawk | 1 |
| 5 | 3 | 15.90981 | -19.1648 | 1 | Pale Chanting Goshawk | 2 |
| 5 | 4 | 15.91541 | -19.17218 | 1 | ||
| 5 | 5 | 15.91472 | -19.18032 | 1 | Pale Chanting Goshawk | 4 |
| Date | WC no | WC site | Roberts | Species | No of birds |
| 09/May/98 | 748 | Orange River Wetlands | 8 | Dabchick | 49 |
| 09/May/98 | 748 | Orange River Wetlands | 49 | White Pelican | 27 |
| 09/May/98 | 748 | Orange River Wetlands | 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | 19 |
| 09/May/98 | 748 | Orange River Wetlands | 56 | Cape Cormorant | 2 |
| 09/May/98 | 748 | Orange River Wetlands | 58 | Reed Cormorant | 8 |
| 09/May/98 | 748 | Orange River Wetlands | 60 | Darter | 17 |
| Site no | Site name | Date | Roberts' no | Species name | No of birds | 1% Ramsar level | Ramsar population name | % of population |
| 6 | Cape Cross Saltworks | 22-Jan-92 | 56 | Cape Cormorant | 15235 | 5500 | Southern Africa | 2.77 |
| 6 | Cape Cross Saltworks | 22-Jan-92 | 96 | Greater Flamingo | 1238 | 500 | Southern Africa | 2.48 |
| 6 | Cape Cross Saltworks | 09-Jul-92 | 96 | Greater Flamingo | 552 | 500 | Southern Africa | 1.10 |
| 6 | Cape Cross Saltworks | 10-Feb-93 | 96 | Greater Flamingo | 1380 | 500 | Southern Africa | 2.76 |
| 6 | Cape Cross Saltworks | 20-Jul-93 | 96 | Greater Flamingo | 1263 | 500 | Southern Africa | 2.53 |
| 6 | Cape Cross Saltworks | 15-Dec-93 | 96 | Greater Flamingo | 1423 | 500 | Southern Africa | 2.85 |
| Robert's | Species recorded | Site | 1994 01 15 | 1994 03 10 | 1994 06 03 |
| 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) | Agate Beach | 3 | ||
| 56 | Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis) | Agate Beach | 8 | 30 | |
| 244 | African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) | Agate Beach | 14 | 23 | 26 |
| 246 | Whitefronted Plover (Charadrius marginatus) | Agate Beach | 2 | 4 | |
| 262 | Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) | Agate Beach | 3 | ||
| 274 | Little Stint (Calidris minuta) | Agate Beach | 13 |
| Site no | Site | Year-Month | No of species | No of birds |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 1991-06 | 32 | 322 |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 1992-02 | 19 | 1757 |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 1993-04 | 8 | 14 |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 1993-05 | 4 | 19 |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 1994-04 | 8 | 18 |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 1994-05 | 21 | 752 |
| Site code | WC site | No of wetland counts | Year of first count | Year of last count |
| 1 | Cunene River Mouth | 6 | 1991 | 1996 |
| 1 | Cunene River Ruacana | 2 | 1993 | 1994 |
| 2 | Hoarusib River - Little Oasis | 1 | 1995 | 1995 |
| 2 | Hoarusib River Mouth | 3 | 1991 | 1996 |
| 3 | Hoanib River Mouth | 7 | 1991 | 1996 |
| 4 | Huab River Mouth | 6 | 1990 | 1996 |
| Roberts' no | Species name | Latin name | No of specimens | No with QDS | First year | Last year |
| 1 | Ostrich | Struthio camelus | 11 | 10 | 1923 | 1994 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | Spheniscus demersus | 13 | 12 | 1910 | 1994 |
| 6 | Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | 3 | 3 | 1968 | 1968 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 30 | 24 | 1880 | 1994 |
| 8 | Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 36 | 31 | 1880 | 1995 |
| 12 | Blackbrowed Albatross | Diomedea melanophris | 2 | 1 | 1986 | 1989 |
| Roberts' no | Species name | Museum name | Accession no | Sex | Age | Year | Location info | QDS | Collector | Notes |
| 53 | Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) | Tring | 1911.12.18.8 | 1910 | Lowe | |||||
| 53 | Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) | Tring | 1911.12.18.7 | F | A | 1910 | Lowe | |||
| 53 | Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) | Tring | 1911.12.18.9 | M | I | 1911 | 2214CD | 2214CD | Lowe | |
| 53 | Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) | Tring | 1911.12.18.6 | M | A | 1920 | 2614BD | 2614BD | Lowe | |
| 53 | Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) | Transvaal | 16716 | 1931 | 2214DAC | 2214DA | Bradfield | |||
| 53 | Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) | Namibian | f | 1963 | 1811bb | 1811BB | Buys |
| Roberts' | Species | QDS | No of specimens |
| 194 | Redbilled Francolin | 1713BD | 3 |
| 194 | Redbilled Francolin | 1715CB | 1 |
| 194 | Redbilled Francolin | 1715DD | 1 |
| 194 | Redbilled Francolin | 1719DC | 3 |
| 194 | Redbilled Francolin | 1724CC | 2 |
| 194 | Redbilled Francolin | 1813BA | 2 |
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 7.
| QDS | Museum | No of specimens |
| 1711BD | Namibian | 8 |
| 1712AB | Namibian | 14 |
| 1712BB | Namibian | 11 |
| 1712BC | Namibian | 1 |
| 1712BD | Namibian | 13 |
| 1713AB | Namibian | 5 |
If only one museum is selected, the results can be mapped by selecting Map results from the menu (see page *).
Figure 7 Sample map obtained by selecting "Summarise no of specimens per QDS for selected species".
| Roberts' no | Species name | Latin name | No nest records |
| 1 | Ostrich | Struthio camelus | 149 |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | Spheniscus demersus | 10 |
| 6 | Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | 7 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 14 |
| 8 | Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 62 |
| 49 | White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | 1 |
| Roberts' no | Species name | Latin name | No nest records |
| 3 | Jackass Penguin | Spheniscus demersus | 5 |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 21 |
| 8 | Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 5 |
| 49 | White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | 18 |
| 55 | Whitebreasted Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | 142 |
| 56 | Cape Cormorant | Phalacrocorax capensis | 16 |
| Roberts' | Species | QDS or SDS | Location | NRC no | Date | Parental activity | Eggs present? | No eggs | Young present? | No young |
| 297 | Spotted Dikkop | 1914ADD | 148 | 28/11/1993 | Y | 2 | ||||
| 297 | Spotted Dikkop | 1914ADD | 148 | 08/12/1993 | Y | 2 | ||||
| 297 | Spotted Dikkop | 1914ADD | 148 | 11/12/1993 | Y | 2 | ||||
| 297 | Spotted Dikkop | 1914ADD | 148 | 16/12/1993 | Y | 1 | Y | 1 | ||
| 297 | Spotted Dikkop | 1914ADD | 148 | 18/12/1993 | ||||||
| 297 | Spotted Dikkop | 2020ad | 149 | 05/02/1994 | Y | 3 |
| Roberts | Species | Location | NRC no | Date | Nests in colony | Pairs in colony | No nests examined | Empty |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 1920CB | 17 | 09/02/1994 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 1920CD | 1857 | 13/03/1988 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 1863 | 11/03/1988 | 5 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 1920CD | 4610 | 19/03/1989 | 10 | 10 | 0 | |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 1920CD | 4611 | 25/03/1989 | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| 7 | Blacknecked Grebe | 1920CD | 4612 | 25/03/1989 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 1Y ONLY | 2Y ONLY | 3Y ONLY | 4Y ONLY | 5Y ONLY | 6Y ONLY | 1E ONLY | 1E+1Y | 1E+2Y | 1E+3Y | 1E+4Y | 1E+5Y | 2E ONLY | 2E+1Y | 2E+2Y |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2E+3Y | 2E+4Y | 3E ONLY | 3E+1Y | 3E+2Y | 3E+3Y | 4E ONLY | 4E+1Y | 4E+2Y | 5E ONLY | 5E+1Y | 6E ONLY | Notes |
| 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 09-02-94 COLONY IN SAME PLACE AS WHISKERED etc |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Roberts | Species | Month | No of nests with eggs | No of nests with young |
| 63 | Blackheaded Heron | 04 | 1 | 0 |
| 64 | Goliath Heron | 03 | 0 | 1 |
| 64 | Goliath Heron | 07 | 1 | 1 |
| 64 | Goliath Heron | 08 | 2 | 0 |
| 64 | Goliath Heron | 09 | 3 | 1 |
| 64 | Goliath Heron | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| QDS | No of species |
| 1711BC | 1 |
| 1711BD | 3 |
| 1712AA | 1 |
| 1712AC | 2 |
| 1712AD | 2 |
| 1712BC | 1 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from
the menu (see page *), producing an output
similar to Figure 8.
| QDS | No of cards |
| 1711BC | 1 |
| 1711BD | 3 |
| 1712AA | 1 |
| 1712AC | 2 |
| 1712AD | 2 |
| 1712BC | 1 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from
the menu (see page *).
| QDS | No of DT nest records |
| 1711BD | 1 |
| 1711DB | 2 |
| 1811BB | 2 |
| 1812AC | 3 |
| 1812CD | 3 |
| 1912BA | 1 |
These results can be mapped by selecting Map results from the menu (see page *).
Figure 8 Sample map obtained by selecting "Calculate number of species per QDS with nest records".
Options available after choosing Extract data (display or export results)
Choosing one of the data extraction options will produce
results in a spreadsheet format on the screen. A menu will also appear
which provides the following choices:
Options in ArcView are:
Figure 10 Screen which appears on selecting Export from the Map results option
Extract data (as a formatted report to print)
This menu option facilitates the extraction of data from the database as an Access report i.e. in a formatted output which is easily readable and comprehensible.
There are seven options which are described in the following
sections:
There are two options:
Extract SABAP data by parks/regions:
Options available after choosing Extract data (as a formatted report to print)
Choosing one of the report options will produce results
in a document-type format on the screen, displayed as it will print with
the current settings. A menu will also appear which provides the following
choices:
This menu item provides a list of the datasets to which data can be added. Choosing a dataset from the list will open the appropriate on-screen form for data entry.
There are 5 options which are described in the following
sections.
The on-screen data entry form is designed to enter data from Raptor Road Count data sheets shown in Figure 43 in the printed version of this manual.
The data entry form is opened by selecting Enter data from the main menu, then Raptor Road Count data. The data entry form is shown in Figure 44. Each piece of information recorded on the original data sheet is entered into the appropriate place in the on-screen form. Note that several routes may be recorded on one data sheet e.g. Windhoek to Okahandja, Okahandja to Otjiwarongo, Otjiwarongo to Outjo etc. Each of these must be entered as a separate route and thus will be given a separate Road count no.
Note that there are 125 defined routes, although only 107 appear on the Road Count Check Sheet. This is because routes 108 - 125 are very infrequently travelled. Before entering data which have not been assigned to a route, check that they do not match any of the routes 108 - 125.
Note also that for road counts which have been assigned to zones rather than routes, it may be necessary to split one count into several separate counts, if the route travelled crosses from one zone into another. In this case, the original road count should be split into separate counts for each zone, each with a start and stop time, odometer reading etc.
On selecting the option to enter road count data, a message
will appear telling you the number of the last road count entered and saved.
Figure 44 Raptor road count data entry form.
Fill in the following boxes for every route completed:
The next section should be filled in once for every observation
of a raptor or stork i.e. if 12 groups of birds/observations were recorded
for the route, 12 separate entries should be made here. Note that it is
not possible to enter data for species which are not raptors or storks
e.g. rollers.
The on-screen data entry form is designed to enter data from Wetland Count data sheets (IWRB data sheets) shown in Figure 45 in the printed version of this manual.
The data entry form is opened by selecting Enter data from the main menu, then Wetland Count data. See Figure 46. On selecting this option, a message will appear telling you the number of the last wetland count entered.
Figure 46 Wetland count data entry form.
This on-screen form is designed for the entry of data obtained from museums on bird specimens originally collected in Namibia. The form is opened by selecting Enter data from the main menu, then Museum data. See Figure 47. On selecting this option, a message will appear telling you the number of the last museum record entered and saved.
The level of detail available for each specimen will vary with the museum but typically includes species information, an Accession number and collection location.
Figure 47 Museum data entry form.
This on-screen data entry form is designed to enter data from Nest record cards shown in Figure 48 in the printed version of this manual.
The data entry form is opened by selecting Enter data from the main menu, then Nest Record Card data. See Figure 49. On selecting this option, a message will appear telling you the number of the last nest record entered.
Note that people occasionally record details of more than one nest on a non-colonial card. In this case it is necessary to decide whether the records should be entered as one colonial record or as several separate non-colonial nests.
Figure 49 Nest record data entry form.
The data entry sub-form for non-colonial nests is shown in Figure 50. This section should be filled in once for every observation of the nest. For example, if observations were made on three separate dates, three lines should be entered here.
Figure 50 Nest record data entry form: non-colonial nests sub-form.
The data entry sub-form for colonial nests is shown in Figure 51.
Figure 51 Nest record data entry form: colonial nests sub-form.
The on-screen data entry form is designed to enter data from Damara Tern nest record sheets shown in Figure 52 in the printed version of this manual.
The data entry form is opened by selecting Enter data from the main menu, then Damara Tern nest record data. See Figure 53. On selecting this option, a message will appear telling you the number of the last Damara Tern nest record entered.
Figure 53 Damara tern nest record data entry form.
This option is designed to allow the easy checking and editing of several of the data sets.
There are four options:
IMPORTANT
The forms for data checking and editing are essentially
the same as the data entry forms and you should refer to the section on
Data entry (page *) for further details on
how to fill these in correctly. However, instead of opening with a blank
screen ready for data entry, each form opens with data showing. This is
the first data record that was entered. Use the navigation controls at
the bottom left of the screen to move back and forwards between records,
either by clicking on the arrows or by typing in the record number of the
data record you want to view. To go to the last record, click on the second
last symbol (with the arrow and the line). To go to the first record, click
on the leftmost symbol. Clicking on the last symbol (the arrow and the
*) will clear the form ready for data entry. The notes below give further
information for each dataset.
Wetland count data
There are two options:
Museum data
This form has two tabs. The first (Select data) allows
you to find the specimen record you want to edit. First select the museum
from the list, then the species and then the specimen. You are then taken
to the second tab (Edit data) where the details of the selected specimen
are shown. This tab is basically the same as the data entry form. Note,
however, that the species name displayed may not be the same as the name
you entered, but may be a synonym for the species. As long as the species
has the correct Roberts' number this is not a problem. Roberts' number
can be checked by clicking on the arrow to the right of the species name.
Nest record data
The first tab of this form (Select data) allows you to select the nest record you want to edit or check. Select the appropriate species from the list and then select the nest record. You are then taken to the second tab (General info) which displays data from the nest record selected. The procedure for checking Nest record data is essentially the same as for data entry except for colonial nest data. However, there are a few minor differences as follows:
This form has two tabs. The first (Select data) allows
you to find the record you want to edit. Use the Sort by DT No, Sort by
Year and Sort by QDS buttons to find the appropriate record. Selecting
the record will take you to the second tab (Check damara tern data) where
there are no significant differences between the data checking procedure
and the data entry form.
Selecting this option opens a bibliography of over 2000 references, most of which relate to birds in Namibia and southern Africa. Many references also relate to methodological or analytical aspects relevant to the datasets in the database. The bibliographic database contains references entered from numerous sources, including historical references, taxonomic papers, books, conference proceedings and journal articles.
The database has been compiled in EndNote software, version
3. EndNote is a comprehensive bibliographic database package which facilitates
the easy input and output of references in customisable formats. It allows
you to create reference lists, format and update papers and manuscripts
automatically and is easily searchable.
IMPORTANT
When you select the Open Bibliography option you will be taken into EndNote into a screen similar to Figure 54.
Figure 54 Screen which appears on selecting Open Bibliography option.
Entering new references
References are entered using the New option in the References
menu. When entering data into the Author or Journal field, pressing the
Control key and the 1 key at the same time will open a list of authors
(or journals) to choose from. Double-clicking on an item in this list will
automatically enter it into the field. This procedure minimises typing
and data entry errors and should be used at all times. If the correct name
or journal is not listed, type the name into the field, using the same
format as shown in the list. Be aware of the correct format for entering
each field before you start entering new references.
Searching for references
The Search option in the References menu allows you to
search for references on words in the title, keywords, authors etc. References
can also be selected from the list on the screen using the mouse and the
Control or Shift buttons. Once you have completed a search, or highlighted
the desired references on the screen, you can then copy or export these
references in the format of your choice.
Exporting references
To print or export a reference list first make sure a
style is selected by selecting Style and choosing a style from the list.
If no list appears, it may be necessary to first choose Set styles folder
and then specify the EndNote3 directory and the Styles folder. (A good
general-purpose style to use is IBA-RDP in the Biosciences folder). Make
sure the references you want to export are highlighted and then choose
Copy Formatted from the Edit menu. The selected references are then copied
onto the clipboard in the chosen output style and can then be pasted into
any other application. To preview the style, choose Show Clipboard from
the Edit menu.
EndNote can do many other useful bibliographic tasks such
as formatting and updating word processing documents with in-text citations
and reference lists formatted to your specifications. For further details,
use the online help or consult the EndNote Manual.
Open the on-line manual for this database
Clicking on this option will open an electronic html version
of this manual for the database. The manual describes and explains all
aspects of the database. Navigate through the manual using the hyperlinks
and the scroll bars at the side of the screen.
Exit this screen and go to the database window
This allows the user to leave the menu system and work
with the actual tables, queries and reports. If you choose this option
you will be prompted to enter a password. Passwords will be provided to
people authorised to work in the database: this is designed to prevent
inexperienced users making changes to the structure of the database. If
you do not enter the correct password you will be returned to the menu
system. To return to the menu system from the Database window choose Switchboard
from the Forms tab.
This takes you to a menu where you have 3 options.
Select Compact the database (recommended) if you have added or deleted
a lot of data. Compacting a database recovers disk space allocated to non-existent
data and optimises data storage. If not, choose Exit without compacting
to close the database and Access. The third option returns you to previous
menu.
The preceding section describes how to use the menu system
to carry out many straightforward procedures such as data entry, data checking
and data extraction as spreadsheets and reports. This section provides
the information required to understand the design and structure of the
database and to enable you to design and run new queries and reports.
IMPORTANT
The Avifaunal Database has been designed in Microsoft Access, a relational database package within the Microsoft Office Professional software package. Office is user-friendly yet powerful, allowing the easy interchange and linking of data between the five Office components (Microsoft Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook), as well as between other software packages.
Many people think of a database as, for example, one large
spreadsheet containing all their data. A relational database is, in fact,
made up of many tables, each containing parts of the whole dataset(s) and
related to each other by defined relationships (see Figure 1 for a structural
overview of this database). Duplication of information is minimised by
careful planning of tables and relationships, so that information common
to many data items is stored only once, rather than repeated for every
data item. There are several advantages to using a relational database
compared to, for example, a spreadsheet application:
Figure 1 in the printed version of this manualgives an
overview of the relationships between all tables incorporated in the database;
in addition, relationships for the tables used in each dataset are presented
at the end of each data set description. In database terminology, a column
in a table is referred to as a 'field'. Relationships between tables are
indicated by lines joining common fields and are defined in the Relationship
window. Three main types of relationships are possible:
A "one to one" relationship is rarely used, and is not
used in this database. It can be used, for example, to split a large table
into two for easier manipulation or to ensure security of some sections
of data.
Organisation and naming of data sets
Within the database the data are organised as follows:
SABAP data are in tables beginning SABAP_: In Figure 1 these are colour coded Pale blue
Raptor road count data RRC_: Brown
Wetland data WC_ : Dark blue
Museum data Museum_ : Red
Nest record card data Nest_Record: Green
Damara Tern nest record data Damara_Tern_: Orange
Endemics data Endemics_: Orange
Within all data sets, a unique number has been assigned to each entry in the database and this number is recorded on the original data sheets to facilitate cross-referencing. For example, the first wetland count entered is referenced in the database as WC1 and the number 1 has been written on the original data sheet.
There are also a few additional tables, referred to here as Central Tables. These contain species, location and protected area information; the majority of data tables are linked directly or indirectly to one or more of these tables. These are colour coded Black in Figure 1.
(Three further tables are present: Map_Data, Query_Data and Query_Route_Data. These are used by Access for some of the processes which operate when queries and reports are run, and should not be modified or deleted).
Primary key fields are indicated in the following pages
with a # symbol.
Roberts_Code
This table contains species information for all species
which occur in southern Africa i.e. all species which have a Robert's number.
This is a key table which is used by many of the forms/tables to provide
user-friendly species names and data.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Roberts | Number | Roberts' number for the species. |
| Roberts_Name | Text | Common name, as in "Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa". |
| Afrikaans_Name | Text | Common Afrikaans name, as in "Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa". |
| Order | Text | Order name. |
| Family | Text | Family name. |
| Genus | Text | Genus name. |
| Species | Text | Species name. |
| Habitat Status | Text | Indicates whether the species is primarily found in wetlands or non-wetlands. |
| Red Data Status | Text | Indicates the Red Data Status, either critical, endangered or vulnerable. |
| Endemic Status | Text | Indicates whether the species is endemic to southern Africa or Namibia. |
| W_T_M Status | Text | Indicates whether the species is a wetland, marine or terrestrial species. |
| Location | Text | For Red Data species, indicates whether it occurs in Caprivi, Cunene or Orange River. |
This table contains information on alternative names for
species which occur in Namibia. This was derived from a number of historical
sources, primarily and is used mainly in conjunction with Museum data,
which often includes old species names.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| Roberts No | Number | Roberts' number for the species, as in Roberts_Code. |
| Genus | Text | Genus name used previously. |
| Species | Text | Species name used previously. |
Protected_Area_Codes
This table contains information on the codes used in many
of the data tables for protected areas.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Protected_Area_Code | Number | Protected area code used in data tables. |
| Protected_Area_Name | Text | Meaning of protected area code. |
QDS
The QDS table contains data on the location, vegetation,
protection status and land tenure of every quarter degree square (QDS)
in Namibia. It also contains location data for half degree squares (HDS)
which are referred to as the first 5 characters of the QDS code e.g. 1914D.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #QDS | Text | QDS code. |
| QDS_Name | Text | Name of the QDS as on the 1:50 000 topographical map sheets. |
| QDS_Long_DD | Number | Longitude (in decimal degrees) of the centroid of the QDS. |
| QDS_Lat_DD | Number | Latitude (in decimal degrees) of the centroid of the QDS. |
| HDS_Long_DD | Number | Longitude (in decimal degrees) of the centroid of the HDS. |
| HDS_Lat_DD | Number | Latitude (in decimal degrees) of the centroid of the HDS. |
| Avi-Veg_Code | Number | Avi-vegetational zone within which the QDS lies: 1 Namib, 2 Namibian escarpment, 3 Mopane, 4 Arid woodland, 5 Northern Kalahari, 6 Central Kalahari, 7 Southern Kalahari, 8 Nama Karoo, 9 Succulent Karoo. |
| Zone | Number | Raptor Road Count zone within which the QDS lies, as in RRC_Zone_Description. |
| Protected_Area_Code | Number | Protected area within which all or much of the QDS lies. |
| Region | Text | Region of Namibia within which the QDS's centroid falls. |
| QDS_Area_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS. |
| Communal_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS within Communal land. |
| Farmscomm_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS within Communal farmland. |
| Mining_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS within Mining area. |
| Protected_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS within National Parks/Protected areas. |
| Tourist_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS within West Coast Tourist Recreation Area. |
| Commercial_sq_km | Number | Area (km2) of the QDS within Commercial farmland. |
The data on area of QDS falling within each land tenure
category were derived using the map of Major Land Uses in Namibia produced
by the National Remote Sensing Centre.
Gazetteer
The Gazetteer was obtained from the National Botanical
Research Institute in Windhoek. It lists every farm in Namibia, together
with some other localities (small towns etc.). The gazetteer contains co-ordinates
for over 8600 specific locations within Namibia, to the level of sixteenth-degree
square (SDS). Each farm/place has been assigned a unique gazetteer number.
The associated latitude and longitude co-ordinates, District and Region
(pre-1998 changes) are listed. The Gazetteer table is used by many of the
datasets to provide consistent detailed location information for bird records.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Gazetteer_Number | Number | Unique number assigned to each location/farm. |
| Place | Text | Farm/location name. |
| Farm_Number | Text | Farm number. |
| Minor_Area | Text | Magisterial district e.g. Gobabis. |
| Major_Area | Text | Region e.g. Omaheke. |
| SDS | Text | Sixteenth degree square reference e.g. 1914ABD |
| Gaz_Lat_DD | Number | Latitude, in decimal degrees. |
| Gaz_Long_DD | Number | Longitude, in decimal degrees. |
| Gaz_Lat | Number | Latitude, in degrees and minutes. |
| Gaz_Long | Number | Longitude, in degrees and minutes. |
The Avian Demography Unit in Cape Town collated all SABAP records for southern Africa and provided computerised Namibian data to Namibia.
The relationships between SABAP tables are shown in Figure 55.
SABAP_Card_ID
This table contains details of all SABAP record cards
completed for Namibia. Each card is for a maximum of one calendar month:
start and finish days are indicated.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Card_ID | Number | Unique number assigned to each card. |
| QDS | Text | QDS code. |
| Day_Start | Number | First day of card recording period. |
| Day_Finish | Number | Last day of card recording period. |
| Mth/Year | Date/Time | Month of card recording period. |
This table contains information on the species recorded,
and their breeding status, for each SABAP record card completed for Namibia.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| Card_ID | Number | Card ID number, as in SABAP_Card_ID. |
| Roberts | Number | Species Robert's number. |
| Breeding_Code | Number | Breeding status code used in SABAP_Breeding_Code. |
This table details the breeding codes used in SABAP_Data.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Breeding_Code | Number | Breeding status code. |
| Short_Description | Text | Brief description of breeding status. |
| Description | Text | Full description of breeding status. |
The relationships between Raptor Road Count tables are shown in Figure 57.
Due to changes in the way data have been handled since
the beginning of the raptor road count project, this dataset comprises
data at two main levels of resolution:
Data are entered through the RRC_Info form, which puts data into the RRC_Info and RRC_Data tables as appropriate. The RRC_Info form also calculates which route section (or zone) should be attributed to each observation and enters the appropriate distance information in RRC_Distances.
RRC_Info
RRC_Info contains information on the date, start/stop
places, times and odometer readings, observer, weather conditions etc.
of each road count and whether the count has been assigned to a route or
a zone.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #RRC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every raptor road count, and is written on the data sheet. |
| Route/Zone | Text | Indicates whether the road count has been assigned by route or by zone |
| Month/Year | Date/Time | Date of road count as e.g. Dec-89. |
| Date | Date/Time | Date of road count as e.g. 31-Dec-89. |
| No_Counters | Number | Number of observers during the road count. |
| Temp | Number | Temperature category during the road count: 1 hot, 2 warm, 3 cool, 4 cold. |
| Cloud | Number | Cloud cover during the road count: 1 clear, 2 light cloud, 3 overcast, 4 rain. |
| Wind | Number | Wind category during the road count: 1 still, 2 breeze, 3 wind, 4 gale. |
| Start_Place | Text | Location at start of road count. |
| Start_Odometer | Number | Odometer reading at start of road count. |
| Start_Time | Date/Time | Time at start of road count. |
| Stop_Place | Text | Location at end of road count. |
| Stop Odometer | Number | Odometer reading at end of road count. |
| Stop_Time | Date/Time | Time at end of road count. |
Figure 56 Routes defined for use in analyses of Raptor Road Count data. See Figure 24 for a listing of routes.
This table contains data on the raptors observed during every road count including route-section, zone, odometer, time, species, number of birds (including adults and immatures), and activities.
The final field, Zone_QDS, is used to allow data to be
extracted by QDS for all observations entered at the resolution of zone.
Data extracted using this field cannot be used to determine raptor densities.
It is provided so that analyses using relative measures can be undertaken,
for example, determining proportions of adults:immatures within QDS, using
both earlier (1977 - 1984) and later data (1984 onwards).
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| RRC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every raptor road count, and is written on the data sheet, as in RRC_Info. |
| Route-Code | Text | A code which identifies the zone or every 1 km section of road within a route. |
| Zone | Number | Zone ID for each observation |
| Odometer | Number | Odometer reading at every observation (recalculated to start at zero). |
| Time_of_Obs | Date/Time | Time of observation as e.g. 06:55. |
| RRC_Species | Text | Species code, as in RRC_Species. |
| No_of_Birds | Number | Total number of birds seen. |
| No_of_Adults | Number | Number of adult birds seen. |
| No_of_Imm | Number | Number of immature birds seen. |
| Activity_Code | Text | Activity of the bird, as in RRC_Activity. |
| Influenced | Text | Indicates whether the bird's behaviour was influenced by the observer: Y or N. |
| Substrate | Text | Substrate code, as in RRC_Substrate. |
| Nat_Equiv | Text | Indicates whether there was an equivalent natural substrate nearby: Y or N. |
| Zone_QDS | Text | Quarter degree square code. Only for those road counts which have been assigned only to a zone but with observations recorded at QDS level. |
RRC_Locations
RRC_Locations contains the co-ordinates for every route
section (i.e. points at 1 km intervals along the route). Each route section
is attributed to a QDS and where appropriate, a code identifying the protected
area within which it falls.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Route-Code | Text | A code which identifies the zone or every 1 km section of road within a route. |
| Route | Number | The route number as indicated on Road count data sheets. |
| Section | Number | The km section of the route. |
| Long_DD | Number | Longitude of the route section in decimal degrees. |
| Lat_DD | Number | Latitude of the route section in decimal degrees. |
| QDS | Number | QDS code for the route section. |
| Protected_Areas | Number | A code assigned to route sections falling within protected areas, as in Protected_Area_Codes. |
| QDS_only | Number | Indicates where route sections have only been assigned to QDS level and not 1km sections. |
RRC_Distances
This table provides a summary of the number of times each
route section has been travelled within each month/year. (For zones, the
replicates column represents the number of km travelled in the month/year).
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Month/Year | Date/Time | Date, as e.g. Dec-89. |
| #Route_Code | Text | A code which identifies the zone or every 1 km section of road within a route. |
| Replicates | Number | Number of times the route section or zone has been travelled in each month/year. |
| RRC_Zone | Number | Zone within which the route section falls. |
Supplementary Tables:
Most of the supplementary tables provide descriptions of codes used in the main RRC tables. In most cases they are used to provide a drop-down list on the data entry forms to allow data to be entered by selecting options from a list rather than typing in codes.
Lists the codes used for all raptor and stork species
included in the study e.g. wbv, te.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| Roberts | Number | Roberts' number for the species, as in Roberts_Code. |
| #RRC_Species | Text | Species code, as in RRC_Data. |
RRC_Activity lists the codes for the activities used in
recording observations e.g. flying, perched.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Activity_Code | Text | Activity code used in RRC_Data. |
| Activity | Text | Meaning of the activity code. |
This table contains codes for all substrates recorded
e.g. green tree, pylon.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Substrate | Text | Substrate code. |
| Substrate_Desc | Text | Description of substrate. |
| Natural/Artificial | Text | Type of substrate. |
RRC_Routes
This table lists all routes and start and stop locations.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Route | Number | The route number as indicated on Road count data sheets |
| Place1 | Text | Beginning or end point of the route |
| Place2 | Text | Beginning or end point of the route |
| km | Number | Length of route. |
This table lists the names of all people who have filled
in road count forms, with their unique counter number.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| RRC_Counter_No | Number | Counter number used in RRC_Info. |
| Last_Name | Text | Counter's last name. |
| First_Names | Text | Counter's first name. |
RRC_Info_Counters
This table stores data on all counters participating in
each road count. As more than one registered counter may participate in
any one count, these data were not incorporated directly into the RRC_Info
table. Providing this information in a linked table allows the user to
easily extract data for a particular counter.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| RRC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every raptor road count, as in RRC_Info. |
| RRC_Counter_No | Number | Counter number, as in RRC_Counters. |
RRC_Season
This table provides the information needed to run queries
based on rainfall/season. Each month is assigned to the wet or dry season.
The table is updated automatically when data from new month/years are added.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Month/Year | Date/Time | Date as e.g. Dec-89. |
| Season | Text | Assigns months to wet or dry seasons. Dry = May to Oct; Wet = Nov to April. |
RRC_Zone_Description
This table provides information on the RRC_Zones used
in RRC_Info and related tables.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Zone | Number | Number of RRC zone. |
| Description | Text | Description of RRC zone. |
IMPORTANT
Figure 57 Raptor Road
Count relationships
The relationships between Wetland tables are shown in Figure 58.
Data are entered through the WC_Info form containing two sub-forms which automatically enter the count details into WC_Info and the bird count data into the WC_Data_Wets and WC_Data_Nonwets tables. These three tables represent the main data tables for wetland data; all other WC tables contain supplementary data used to facilitate data entry etc.
Data can be queried by site, date, species etc. Note that a query which provides information on, for example, every date a species was counted at a particular site, will only produce information for those dates when the species was observed unless the join type is set so that all records from WC_INFO are used.
WC_Info contains information on the date, site name, count
type code, coverage code, condition code and observer for each wetland
count.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #WC_No | Number | Unique number identifying every wetland count, written on the data sheet. |
| Count_Date | Date/Time | Date of wetland count, as e.g. 17-Jan-96. |
| WC_Site_Name | Text | Wetland site name, as listed in WC_Sites. |
| Type | Text | Type of wetland count, as listed in WC_Types. |
| Coverage | Text | Coverage of wetland, as listed in WC_Coverage. |
| Condition | Number | Condition of wetland, as listed in WC_Condition. |
| Compiler's Name | Text | Name of person doing wetland count, as e.g. Darwin C |
This table contains count data for those species listed
on WC forms.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| WC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every wetland count, as in WC_Info. |
| Roberts | Number | Robert's number. |
| No_of_Birds | Number | Number of birds counted during the wetland count. |
Contains count data for species recorded during wetland
counts but which are not listed on WC forms. The table has the same
format as WC_Data_Wets.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| WC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every wetland count, as in WC_Info. |
| Roberts | Number | Robert's number. |
| No_of_Birds | Number | Number of birds counted during the wetland count. |
Supplementary Tables:
Most of the supplementary tables provide descriptions of codes used in the main WC tables. In most cases they are used to provide a drop-down list on the data entry forms to allow data to be entered by selecting options from a list rather than typing in codes.
WC_Sites
This table lists all the wetland sites ever counted under
this scheme. Each site has been allocated a site code, and the district,
nearest town, QDS, protection status codes and threat codes are listed.
Wetland sites are grouped by site codes so that, for example, all the Bushmanland
pans have a unique name but the same site code.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| WC_Site_Code | Number | Code given to each wetland. Several wetland sites may have the same code. |
| #WC_Site_Name | Text | Unique name for each wetland. |
| Magisterial_District | Text | Magisterial district within which the wetland falls. |
| Nearest_Town | Text | Nearest town to the wetland. |
| QDS | Text | QDS within which the wetland falls. |
| Protection | Number | Protection codes applicable to the wetland, as listed in WC_Protection_Codes. |
| Threats | Text | Threat codes applicable to the wetland, as listed in WC_Threats. |
| Site Category | Text | Indicates whether the wetland is a perennial river mouth/section, inland or coastal, natural or artificial. |
This table lists all the species listed on WC form, with
Robert's number and name. It is used to provide a drop down list of wetland
species on the data entry form and to provide population information for
queries based on RAMSAR criteria.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| WC_Species | Text | Species common name. |
| WC_Form_Order | Number | Indicates the order in which these species appear on the IWRB form. |
| #Roberts | Number | Species Roberts' number. |
| 1% Ramsar Level | Number | 1% of population level for use in Ramsar. |
| Population | Text | Population of which 1% level is taken. |
This table lists the codes used for classifying wetland
condition (dry, wet etc.) in WC_Info table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #WC_Condition_Code | Number | Code used to indicate condition of wetland. |
| WC_Condition | Text | Meaning of WC_Condition_Code. |
WC_Coverage lists the codes used for classifying coverage
of wetland survey (75%, 100% etc.) in WC_INFO table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #WC_Coverage_Code | Text | Code used to indicate coverage of wetland during count. |
| WC_Coverage | Text | Meaning of WC_Coverage_Code. |
This table lists the codes used for classifying type of
wetland survey in WC_Info table.
| Field nameData type | Meaning | |
| #WC_Type_Code | Text | Lists types of wetland counts i.e. by foot, by boat. |
| WC_Type | Text | Meaning of WC_Type_Code. |
This table lists the codes used for classifying wetland
protection status in WC_Info table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #WC_Protection_Code | Number | Code used to indicate protection status of wetland. |
| WC_Protection | Text | Meaning of WC_Protection_Code. |
This table lists the codes used for classifying threats
to wetlands in WC_Info table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #WC_Threats_Code | Text | Code used to indicate threats to wetland. |
| WC_Threats | Text | Meaning of WC_Threats_Code. |
Figure 58 Wetland relationships
The relationships between Museum tables are shown in Figure 59.
The level of detail of information available for museum specimens varies with the source, but typically includes at least species, collection date and locality. The form Museum_Data is used for data entry, putting all data entered into the Museum_Data table. There are two supplementary tables, containing data on Museum names and addresses and age codes used in the Museum_Data table.
This table contains all information available for each
museum specimen. Data are recorded for museum, museum accession number,
species and location information, collector and information on the specimen
type. Where possible, collection location has been assigned a gazetteer
number, for cross-referencing to the Gazetteer table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Museum_Specimen_Number | AutoNumber | Unique reference number given to every museum specimen entered. |
| Museum_Name | Text | Museum name, as in the Museum_Codes table. |
| Accession_Number | Text | Reference number given to the specimen by the source museum. |
| Roberts | Number | Robert's number of the species. |
| Genus | Text | Genus name. |
| Species | Text | Species name. |
| Subspecies | Text | Subspecies name. |
| Day | Number | Day of specimen collection i.e. between 1 and 31. |
| Month | Number | Month of specimen collection i.e. between 1 and 12. |
| Year | Number | Year of specimen collection e.g. 1997. |
| Gazetteer_Number | Number | Gazetteer number, as listed in the Gazetteer table. |
| Minor_Area | Text | Magisterial district where the specimen was collected (only needed if there is no Gazetteer number). |
| Major_Area | Text | Region where the specimen was collected (only needed if there is no Gazetteer number). |
| (Location_Details) | Text | Information on the collection location (only needed if there is no Gazetteer number). |
| QDS | Text | QDS at which the specimen was collected (only needed if there is no Gazetteer number). |
| Collector | Text | Name of the person who collected the specimen. |
| Sex | Text | Sex of the specimen: M or F. |
| Age | Text | Age code for the specimen as in Museum_Age_Codes. |
| Preparation | Text | Preparation of the specimen e.g. skin, egg, skeleton. |
| Prep_Notes | Text | Any notes relating to the specimen preparation. |
| Weight | Text | Weight of the specimen. |
| Remarks/Notes | Text | Any other information, including type specimen information. |
Supplementary Tables:
Museum_Codes
This table provides details of the source museums used
in the Museum_Data table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Museum_Name | Text | Museum name as in Museum_Data. |
| Postal_Address | Text | Museum address. |
| Contact_Name | Text | Name of person who deals with bird specimens. |
| Phone_no | Text | Phone number for Ornithological Department. |
| Fax_no | Text | Fax number for Ornithological Department. |
| E-mail_Address | Text | E-mail address for collection manager/curator. |
Museum_Age_Codes lists the age codes used in the Museum_Data
table.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #Museum_Age_Code | Text | Age code used in Museum_Data table. |
| Age_Description | Text | Meaning of age code. |
Figure 59 Museum relationships
The relationships between Nest record tables are shown in Figure 60.
Most nest record cards are for single nests and contain information on the number of eggs and/or young present on one or more dates. For those species which nest colonially, a separate type of nest record card exists (Colonial Nest Record Card) and data have been recorded on the number of nests with 0, 1, 2 etc. eggs/young per nest. Both types of nest records (non-colonial and colonial nests) have certain data in common (e.g. locality, species) and this information is stored in the Nest_Record_Info table. Data are entered through the NRC_Info form, which automatically puts information into the four Nest record data tables: Nest_Record_Info, Nest_Record_Data, Nest_Record_Colonial_Info and Nest_Record_Colonial_Data.
This table contains information for each nest record card,
whether for a single nest or a breeding colony.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #NRC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every record card, and is written on the card. |
| Observer | Text | Observer name. |
| Gazetteer Number | Number | Gazetteer number, as in Gazetteer table (0 if not known). |
| QDS | Text | Quarter degree square code. |
| Locality | Text | Geographical description of nest location e.g. Hobatere lodge, Kunene region. |
| Nest Description | Text | Data on appearance, structure etc of nest. |
| Nest Site | Text | Data on position/location of nest. |
| Height (m) | Number | Height of nest above ground. |
| Habitat | Text | Description of habitat around nest. |
| R/S/U | Text | Rural/Suburban/Urban (entered as R, S or U). |
| Roberts | Number | Roberts number for the nesting species. |
| Colonial | Yes/No | A yes/no box which indicates if it the record is of a breeding colony. |
| Notes | Text | Additional information e.g. 12-12-93 chicks approx. 3 days old. |
This table contains data on the date, number of eggs and/or
young per nest for non-colonial nest record cards only.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| NRC_No | Number | Unique number which identifies every nest record card, and is written on the card, as in Nest_Record_Info. |
| Date | Date/Time | Entered as dd-mm-yy |
| Parental Activity | Text | Parental activity, If known. B nest building, I incubating, F feeding young or O other |
| Eggs Present? | Text | Y or N (or ? if it is likely but not definite) |
| No Eggs | Number | Number of eggs, if known |
| Young Present? | Text | Y or N (or ? if it is likely but not definite) |
| No Young | Number | Number of young, if known |
Nest_Record_Colonial_Info
This table contains data relating to features of the breeding
colony, for colonial nest records only.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| NRC_No | Number | NRC_No, as in Nest_Record_Info. |
| Date | Date/Time | Entered as dd-mm-yyyy |
| Nests in Colony | Number | Number of nests in the colony. |
| Pairs in Colony | Number | Number of pairs in the colony. |
Nest_Record_Colonial_Data
This table contains data for colonial nest records only on the contents of nests in each breeding colony (e.g. 1 egg only, 1 egg and 1young etc), and the number of nests containing those contents.
Field name
| Data type | Meaning | |
| NRC_No | Number | NRC_No, as in Nest_Record_Info. |
| Nest_Contents | Text | Code for nest contents e.g. Empty, 1E+1Y, 6E only etc. |
| No_of_Nests | Number | Number of nests containing the contents shown in 'Nest_Contents'. |
Figure 60 Nest record relationships
The relationships between Damara tern nest record tables are shown, with the relationships between the Endemics tables, in Figure 61.
Records of Damara Tern nests/colonies pre-1991 (and a few from 1992) are included within the nest record scheme and are in the standard nest record format. Damara tern breeding records collected since 1991 consist of different and more detailed information and these are contained within this data set.
The Damara_Tern_Info data entry form automatically enters data into the Damara_Tern_Info and Damara_Tern_Data tables as appropriate.
This table contains information on the QDS, habitat, substrate
etc. of the nest.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #DT_No | Number | Unique Damara Tern nest record number. |
| Year | Number | The year of the nest record, as a four-figure digit e.g. 1997. |
| Colony | Text | The name of the colony e.g. Meob. |
| QDS | Text | The quarter degree square e.g. 1914DD. |
| Nest No | Text | The number or code given to the nest e.g. Meob1. |
| Locality | Text | The name of the nearest place or feature. |
| Distance | Text | Distance (m) to the nearest place or feature. |
| Sea | Text | Distance (m) to the sea. |
| Road | Text | Distance (m) to the nearest road. |
| Nest | Text | Distance (m) to the nearest nest. |
| E/W | Text | Direction to the nearest nest. |
| Habitat | Text | Either undulating, flat, valley slope or other. |
| Substrate(a) | Text | Either sand, soft powdery, loose gravel, firm gravel, hard rock, soft saltpan or hard saltpan. |
| Substrate(b) | Text | Either sandy plain, gravel plain, stony plain, rocky, saltpan, upper beach or lichen field. |
| Colour | Text | Either black, grey, dark pink, light pink, white, brown or sandy. |
| Size | Text | Average size (mm) of substrate grains. |
| Adjacent | Text | Type of adjacent coast, either sheltered bay or high energy coast. |
| Prom_Feature | Yes/No | Is the nest within 5 m of a prominent feature? Y or N. |
| Microhabitat | Text | Either stone/rock, drift wood, vehicle track or other. |
| N/S/E/W | Text | Direction to the prominent feature, either N,S,E or W. |
| Ring No | Text | Number of ring put on chick. |
| Observer | Text | Name of person making the nest record observation. |
This table contains information on the nest contents,
stage of chick development and adult behaviour at one or more observation
dates.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| DT_No | Number | Damara Tern nest record number, as in Damara_Tern_Info. |
| Date | Date/Time | Date of observation e.g. 12-Dec-94. |
| No Eggs | Number | Number of eggs present in the nest. |
| Incubating | Yes/No | Is an adult incubating the nest? Y or N. |
| Chick | Text | Information on the chick: in nest, downy & mobile, partly feathered, feathered but not flying, flying, dead or not found. |
| Adults mobbing | Yes/No | Indicates whether the adults were mobbing the observer: Y or N. |
| Mammal tracks | Yes/No | Indicates whether mammal tracks were near the nest: Y or N. |
| Gulls, crows | Yes/No | Indicates whether gulls or crows were near the nest: Y or N. |
The relationships between Endemics data tables are shown in Figure 61.
Data on the following 10 species of Namibian endemics were collected during field surveys in 1996: Hartlaub's Francolin, Ruppell's Korhaan, Ruppell's Parrot, Violet Woodhoopoe, Monteiro's Hornbill, Carp's Black Tit, Barecheeked Babbler, Herero Chat, Rockrunner and Whitetailed Shrike. Density estimates were made for each combination of important environmental variables (e.g. rainfall, altitude). These density estimates were then used to predict the numbers of birds of each species per QDS. A diversity index (Shannon rank) based on number of species and birds present was then used to rank all QDS with three or more species. See Jarvis & Robertson for further details of methodologies.
Endemics_Estimates
This table contains information on the predicted number
of each species per QDS.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| QDS | Text | QDS code. |
| Roberts | Number | Roberts' number, as in Roberts_Code. |
| Birds | Number | Predicted number of birds. |
Endemics_by_QDS
This table contains information for each QDS on the number
of endemic species predicted and the Shannon rank (diversity index) of
the QDS.
| Field name | Data type | Meaning |
| #QDS | Text | QDS code. |
| Number_of_Species | Number | Number of endemic species |
| Shannon_Rank | Number | Shannon Index ranking (1 = highest). |
Figure 61 Damara tern and Endemics data relationships
Backing up the database
A backup copy of the database should be kept and regularly updated, especially after major changes such as data entry or editing sessions. The database should be copied from its location on the C drive of the host computer (\\Tony\c\Database\avian database.mdb) to another location and renamed as e.g. avian database 12 Dec 99. This can be done using Windows Explorer. If, in the future, there is any problem with the database, such as it becoming corrupted or unreadable, the backup copy should be used to replace the database, by renaming it to the same name as the original copy. The amount of data lost will depend on the time interval between the last backup copy being made and the replacement.
Compacting the database
As the database is used and changes are made to the data, the size of the database will grow. Whilst some of the size increase is due to additional data being added, some of it is 'lost' space i.e. space which was once used for data that is now no longer used but not available. If the database is substantially bigger than it needs to be because it needs compacting, it will take much longer than necessary to extract or manipulate data. To reclaim the 'lost' space and reduce the database size, it is necessary to compact the database. Do this by selecting Compact the database (recommended) after selecting the Exit database option from the menu.
Many of the day-to-day uses of the database will be catered for by the options available on the menus. These include diverse tasks such as producing species lists with abundance indices for selected squares or areas to use as part of environmental assessments, mapping present and historical species distributions, comparing density of selected birds of prey across the country and over time, and assessing which of Namibia's wetland sites qualify as potential Ramsar sites or are important for selected species. The use of the menus to extract these data is described in Section 1.
However, there are countless other uses to which the bird
data can usefully be put, and many of these will require custom-designed
data extraction queries. In this section we present some examples of how
the data have been, or could be, put to use, and how queries can be designed
to extract appropriate data. These examples, in combination with a basic
knowledge of Access, should provide a sufficient introduction to constructing
queries to allow users to design their own queries to extract data to answer
specific questions.
IMPORTANT
General hints for constructing queries:
The example queries can be accessed by opening the Database Window (select Exit this screen and go to the database window from the menu and then enter the correct password) and clicking on the Query tab. Highlight the required query by clicking on it once with the mouse. Clicking on Open will run the highlighted query; clicking on Design will show the query structure. To switch between the Design view and the Datasheet (results) view, choose View from the Menu and the select the desired view. The example queries have been named "_example 1 1st step", "_example 1 2nd step" etc. To run a multi-step query, it is only necessary to run the last step as the previous step(s) are run automatically. Please DO NOT make changes to these example queries. If you want to experiment, first copy the query and save it with a different name (from the Database Window use the right hand mouse button then choose Copy), or choose Save As/Export from the File menu in the query design view.
Example 1 Where are hotspots of avian endemism in Namibia?
This question is answered by finding out which QDS in Namibia have the highest number of endemic species. To use data on all endemic species, the SABAP dataset must be used. (If only the 10 'inland' endemics were being considered, the best dataset to use would be the Endemics data, since these data are more detailed). The desired output is thus a list of QDS with the corresponding number of endemic species.
The first step of this query (_example1 1st step) uses the SABAP_CARD_ID and SABAP_DATA tables to list the species recorded in every QDS. Adding the ROBERTS_CODE table, with the criteria that the Endemic status field must contain "Namibian", restricts the results to Namibian endemics only. In the query properties, the unique values option is set to yes, so that each species is listed only once for each QDS. In the second step (_example1 2nd step) the first query is used in conjunction with the QDS table (joined with a one-way join to force the output to show all QDS even if no endemic species are present) to count the number of endemic species in every QDS in Namibia. This output can then be exported for mapping.
Example 2 Which wetland sites in Namibia support a) the highest diversity of species? b) the most birds? c) the highest number of Red Data species?
2a) To calculate the total number of wetland species recorded at each site (i.e. diversity of species), a two-step query is required. The first step (_example2a 1st step) lists the species recorded at each site, using the WC_INFO and WC_DATA_WETS tables. The second step (_example2a 2nd step) is based on the first query and counts the number of species at each site. This query presents the number of species recorded over all wetland counts combined for each site. To specify the number of species recorded during one count only, you should add count date to the design grid in the first step.
2b) This query uses WC_SITE_NAME and COUNT_DATE from WC_INFO and NO_OF_BIRDS from WC_DATA_WETS to sum the number of birds at each site on each count date. The final column is sorted in descending order.
2c) The first step of this query is very similar to _example2a 1st step, but it adds the ROBERTS_CODE table so that Red Data species can be specified (as not equal to "-", since Red Data species contain a status code in this column whilst non-RD species contain "-"). The second step (_example2c 2nd step) is based on the first query and sums the number of Red Data species.
Example 3 Which species are known to use Acacia erioloba for nesting?
This query is shown in _example3. Descriptive data on nest locality, description and site are held in the NEST_RECORD_INFO table. Adding the ROBERTS_CODE table allows species names to be added. Since Acacia erioloba has many names, the query should be constructed to find all names e.g. Camelthorn, Acacia erioloba etc by using a criteria such as Like "*acacia erioloba*" Or Like "*camelthorn*" Or Like "*acacia giraffae*". Using this criteria for all fields which contain descriptive data on nest characteristics will retrieve all nest records where any of these words are present. Additional output e.g. dates, locations can be added by adding these fields to the query grid.
Example 4 Which Red Data species have been recorded breeding in the vicinity of Waterberg by the Nest record scheme?
This query uses the NEST_RECORD_INFO table, the GAZETTEER table and the ROBERTS_CODE table. Nest records for which a precise locality was recorded have a Gazetteer number and the sixteenth degree square (SDS) is stored in the GAZETTEER table. Those with less precise locality information have either a quarter degree square (QDS) reference or a descriptive locality in the NEST_RECORD_INFO table. Hence you must query the location in both tables. This has been done as Like "2017*" (the degree square containing Waterberg and surrounds) for the QDS and SDS fields and Like "*waterberg*" in the locality field. Red Data status is stored in the Red Data Status field of the ROBERTS_CODE table and Red Data Species have been specified by <>"-" (i.e. not equal "-") in this field, since Red Data Species have a value such as critically endangered in this field and non RD species have a "-".
Example 5 On which sections of the Windhoek to Okahandja road have Tawny Eagles been observed each year?
This example uses the road count data set. In order to answer the question, you need to extract data on the number of times Tawny Eagles have been sighted on each 1 km section of route 1. These data are in the RRC_INFO and RRC_DATA tables. To help in interpreting this it would also be useful to extract data on how many times each 1km section has been travelled each year. The first step (_example5 1st step) uses RRC_DISTANCES and RRC_LOCATIONS to extract data on how many times each 1km section of road has been travelled. The month/year field has been formatted to extract year only and route 1 has been specified in the criteria. The second step (_example5 2nd step) adds up the number of Tawny Eagles seen on each route section in each year. The third step (_example5 3rd step) combines the first two steps. Relationships have been established between corresponding fields in the first two queries (using the mouse to drag from one field to another) and one-way joins have been set up by clicking on the relationships and setting the join properties so that the query is forced to use all data from the first step i.e. to present every route section for every year regardless of whether or not Tawny Eagles were sighted.
Example 6 How many specimens of Sabota Lark were collected between 1900 and 1950, and from which QDS?
This example extracts data from the MUSEUM_DATA table
based on collection year and species. The first step (_exampe6 1st step)
specifies the species name and extracts the QDS from the QDS field in MUSEUM_DATA
and the SDS field in the GAZETTEER table. Because each specimen has either
the SDS in the GAZETTEER table OR a QDS code in the MUSEUM_DATA table,
it is easiest to just concatenate the data from these two fields to get
the correct QDS code. The expression Left([QDS] & "" & [SDS],6)
specifies that only the first 6 characters are used. Specimens with no
QDS or SDS and not between 1900 and 1950 are excluded. The one-way join
specifies that all specimens from MUSEUM_DATA are used, whether they have
a gazetteer number or not. Because each line of data represents a separate
specimen, the number of specimens is simply the number of records shown.
The second step (_example6 2nd step) produces a list of QDS, and number
of specimens per QDS, based on the first step.