The purpose of the Migration Monitoring Program (MMP) at McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) is to obtain data on neotropical migrant and other landbird species, in a scientifically rigorous manner, in order to contribute to continent-wide efforts to monitor changes in population levels of these species.
The written field protocol for MBO is designed to guide the application of generally accepted principles of migration monitoring at the study site, and to detail procedures that are specific to the monitoring program at MBO. A written field protocol is necessary to ensure that staff follow the same procedures from day to day and year to year despite changes in those involved.
Since this protocol is intended to be a practical field manual, it emphasizes what procedures should be followed and how, and places little stress on why particular approaches have been chosen. The purposes of migration monitoring generally, and recommended methods of running a migration monitoring program, are explained in detail in Blancher et al. (1994) and Hussell and Ralph (1996).