onLOOKer

Birds are one of the most diverse groups of animals in the world. They occur in almost every habitat, are highly dynamic, and are a strong indicator of environmental health. Birds are often a concern for project impacts and mitigation. When it comes to birds, a common method for study is a point count.

A point count survey is undertaken by standing in one location and counting all the birds seen and heard within a specified radius of the observer for a specified amount of time. Point count surveys are commonly used for songbirds, but they can also be used for waterfowl, raptors, woodpeckers, and species-specific surveys such as sharp-tailed grouse or common nighthawk.

The benefits of point counts? They’re repeatable, can work in a variety of habitat types, and can be undertaken at different scales.

onLOOKer is Stantec’s digital data-collection app that simplifies and streamlines the entire point count process. Before heading into the field, users input project attributes, create maps with project spatial files and background satellite imagery, and pre-load regional species lists for the project area. Once in the field, users acquire their location using a built-in GPS, determine the radius and duration of the survey, and use a built-in timer to complete the survey. The entire survey is completed on a tablet device—and many data fields are automated for efficiency and quality control.

Beyond capturing location, species, number, and behaviour, onLOOKer also supports direct image and audio capture from the mobile device. These data files are automatically named and linked to the site identifier.

When connected to the internet, the information is synchronized to a Stantec secure cloud-based server. This means that data collected with onLOOKer can be captured, verified, and transferred to you within hours.

With this app, our teams are better able to deliver timely, high-precision data for your project and regulatory needs. A reduced timeframe and a cloud-based archive of historical data gets the information to you more efficiently, and the database’s consistency lets us output our studies into multiple formats for your needs.

Got birds? onLOOKer can help with your next development.