Hey Tweets...Each member/team of COASST has their own assigned beach to
survey once a month for dead birds. Each bird found is measured for wing
cord, tarsus length, and culmen, and three colored zip ties are affixed to
the right wing or leg. Each zip tie represents a number; the first tie
closest to the body is based on what was assigned to that beach, so a
100-series beach has all birds with the tie closest to the body being red,
then the other ties on same bird being numerically ascending for the number
of that bird in the history of birds found on that beach. When the
number/bird #199 is reached, the next bird goes back to 100 and goes
through the sequence again.

white=0 green=4 purple=8
red=1 blue=5 black=9
orange=2 gray=6
yellow=3 brown=7

The next month, some of these tagged birds may still be on the beach, and
that is the only way to check on the decomposition. More often, the bird
has been predated on by a falcon, or an eagle, or a gull.

This is another example of a successful citizen science study. If you want
to read more, check out the web site at coasst.org

Dianna Moore
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