# Summary: raw (unadjusted) marine bird sightings along line transects in British Columbia (open water, stratum 1 only, 2005-2008). Surveys completed by Raincoast Conservation Foundation. # Data attribution and for full analytical details: Fox, CH, Huettmann, FH, Harvey, GKA, Morgan, KH, Robinson, J, Williams, R, Paquet, PC. 2017. Predictions from machine learning ensembles: marine bird density and distribution on Canada's Pacific coast. Marine Ecology Progress Series.566: 199-216. # Data sharing Policy: Attribution non-commercial (CC-BY-NC). # Description Raw (unadjusted) marine bird sightings along line transect surveys. Field names represent: - first few fields represent summary fields (i.e., FID, Shape) - GMTtime = GMT time (hour:min, AM/PM). - GMTdate = GMT data (day-month-year). - YEAR_ = year. - Sighting_N = code for sighting number. - Species_Al = Species alpha codes. See list below as several are non standard. - Distance = estimated distance (m) at which bird group was sighted from boat. - Angle = estimated angle (degrees) at which bird group was sighted. - Side = "S" or "P" = Starboard or Port, respectively. - Size_ = group size or number of individuals in the group. - Cue = "S" or "W" = in flight or on water, respectively. - vOYAGE = On planned transect (T) or on passage (P), which are unplanned transects. - SeaState = code for observed seastate (values = 0 - 5). Details in Williams, R. & Thomas, L. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1): 15-28. - Sightabili = Sightability (values = 1 - 5). Details in Williams, R. & Thomas, L. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1): 15-28 - Swell = swell height (values = 0 - 8). Details in Williams, R. & Thomas, L. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1): 15-28 - Weather = weather conditions (FA = fair, S = sunny, R = rain etc.). Details in Williams, R. & Thomas, L. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1): 15-28 - CloudCover = percentage cloudcover. Details in Williams, R. & Thomas, L. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9(1): 15-28 - SEGID = unique line transect segment ID. Can use this field to join across species files. - SPEED = vessel speed (knts). - Observer = Initials of bird observer. - longitude - latitude - PerDist = Perpendicular distance (m) of bird group sighted. - DAY_YR = day of the year, with January 1 = 1. - MO = Month, numeric (1-12). SPECIES ALPHA CODES (note: some of these are non-standard) ANMU = Ancient Murrelet ANMUf = Ancient Murrelet family (varying #s of parents and chicks, or just chicks) BAEA = Bald Eagle BEKI = Belted Kingfisher BFAL = Black-footed Albatross BLKI = Black-legged Kittiwake BLOY = Black Oystercatcher BLSC = Black Scoter BLTU = Black Turnstone BOGU = Bonaparte's Gull BRAC = Brandt's Cormorant BRAN = Brant Goose BUFF = Bufflehead Duck BULS = Buller's Shearwater CAAU = Cassin's Auklet CAGU = California Gull CANG = Canada Goose COLO = Common Loon COME = Common Merganser COMU = Common Murre COMUf = Common Murre family (parent with chick, or just chicks) CORA = Common Raven DARK = Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater DCCO = Double-crested Cormorant DEJU = Dark-eyed Junco DUNL = Dunlin FTSP = Fork-tailed Storm Petrel GBHE = Great Blue Heron GWGU = Glaucous-winged Gull HADU = Harlequin Duck HETHGU = Herring Gull/Thayer's Gull HOGR = Horned Grebe HOPU = Horned Puffin LAAL = Laysan Albatross LEFTSP = mixed flock Fork-tailed and Leach's Storm-petrels LESP = Leach's Storm Petrel LTDU = Longtail Duck LTJA = Long-tailed Jaeger MALL = Mallard Duck MAMU = Marbled Murrelet MEGU = Mew Gull NOCR = Northwestern Crow NOFU = Northern Fulmar NSHO = Northern Shoveler OSPR = Osprey PAJA = Parasitic Jaeger PALO = Pacific Loon PECO = Pelagic Cormorant PFSH = Pink-footed Shearwater PIGU = Pigeon Guillemot POJA = Pomarine Jaeger RBME = Red-breasted Merganser RHAU = Rhinoceros Auklet RNGR = Red-necked Grebe RNPH = Red-necked Phalarope RTLO = Red-throated Loon RUHU = Rufous Hummingbird SAGU = Sabine's Gull SNGO = Snow Goose STAL = Short-tailed Albatross SUSC = Surf Scoter THGU = Thayer's Gull TOWA = Townsend's Warbler TRES = Tree Swallow TUPU = Tufted Puffin TUPUf = Tufted Puffin family (parent with chick) WEGR = Western Grebe WEGU = Western Gull WHIM = Whimbrel WWSC = White-winged Scoter YBLO = Yellow-billed Loon UNAL = Unidentified Alcid UNCO = Unidentified cormorant UNDU = Unidentified ducks in the distance UNGE = Unidentified Geese in the distance UNGO = Unidentified Goldeneye UNGR = Unidentified Grebe ULGU = Unidentified Larus Gull UNJA = Unidentified Jaeger UNLO = Unidentified Loon UNSO = Unidentified Scoter UNSW = Unidentified Shearwater UNSH = Unidentified Shorebirds UNST = Unidentified Storm-petrel UNTE = Unidentified Tern UNTU = Unidentified Turnstone