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SPI-Birds Network & Database

Welcome to the website of the Studies of Populations of Individuals Birds Network & Database. We are a network of researchers working on populations of breeding, individually marked birds. On this website, you can learn more about our work, search for populations of birds across the world, and request data for these populations. 

To request data please send the list of wanted populations and a short description of the reasons for data request to spibirds@nioo.knaw.nl or a.culina@nioo.knaw.nl
 

  • About
  • Network structure
  • Find a population
  • Research & Conferences
  • News
  • Contact

Who are we?

SPI-Birds is a network of researchers who collect data on breeding, individually marked birds. SPI-Birds Network offers expert advice on:

  • how to start with a monitoring of a new population  (e.g. we can advise on the best approach to field set-up and data management). Please use our webform to get in touch. 
  • joining existing projects within the Network, or starting new projects based on the data hosted in the Database. We esepcially encourage students and young researchers to get in touch.

SPI-Birds Database, where those within and outside the Network can request the data:

  • registers populations of breeding, individually marked birds
  • hosts breeding data from over 80 breeding populations of individually marked birds, in the original data format (i.e. as stored  by each researcher/research group) and in the standard data format (see here)
  • acts as a central contact point for accessing the data
  • conducts quality checks on the data to correct for any mistakes in the datasets, and to warn the users about potential issues when using the data.

Why do we do this?

  1. Archive data (prevent data loss)
  2. Make it much easier for users to identify populations that might be of interest for their project
  3. Reduce the time involved in formatting data
  4. Provide a community standard of data formatting and vocabulary that can be followed by anybody establishing a new study population
  5. Increase the data quality

Become a member or use the data

The network and database membership is open to anybody who collects data on individually marked birds, including researchers or members of the general public. Please use our webform to get in touch, or email our coordinator Dr. Antica Culina

Anyone can use the database to search for populations of interest, and to request the access to the data. Please go to the 'Find a population' tab.


Documentation

SPI-Birds standard protocol, agreed within the community, can be found here. This document defines the standard data format. The SPI-Birds team creates tailored pipelines to convert any data format (as stored with the data owner) into a standard one.

The pipelines are available via an R package, and can be found here. 


Funding

The project is funded by NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research) grant to Dr. Antica Culina, and Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (NTNU, Trondheim), and NIOO-KNAW.

The structure of SPI-Birds includes two main components:

  • The executive component consists of the Executive Board and four Teams (Coordinators, Developers, Technical Architecture, Outreach).
  • The advisory component includes the Advisory Council and the SPI-Birds Members.


EXECUTIVE BOARD


ADVISORY COUNCIL


TEAMS


MEMBERS

 

  • You can select populations by using any combination of the filters below.
  • To select multiple options hold down the 'Ctrl' key (For Apple: 'Command' key).
  • Click on the name of a population on the map or in the list for more details.
  • To request data, please send the list of wanted populations and a short description of the reasons for the data request to spibirds@nioo.knaw.nl or a.culina@nioo.knaw.nl
Population Species Country Max. nr nestboxes Start year End year
Ammersee-Starnbergersee

Great tit

Germany 600 2009 N/A
Anserdennen

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 50 2007 N/A
Appelscha

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 101 2007 N/A
Arvidsjaur

Siberian jay

Sweden 90 1990 N/A
Askainen

Blue tit
Coal tit
Common redstart
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Finland 155 1941 1994
Balatonfüred

Great tit

Hungary 68 2014 2019
Bandon Valley

Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit

Ireland 400 2013 N/A
Banter See

Common tern

Germany 150 1992 N/A
Bergen's Arboretum

Blue tit
Great tit

Norway 40 2017 N/A
Berkenheuvel

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 114 2007 N/A
Bird Island, USA

Common tern

USA 2200 1968 2005
Boshoek

Blue tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Belgium 421 1994 N/A
Bowdoin Scientific Station, Kent Island

Leach's storm-petrel
Savannah sparrow
Tree swallow

Canada 100 1986 2005
Buunderkamp

Blue tit
Coal tit
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 110 1982 2017
Can Catà

Blue tit
Great tit

Spain 182 1998 N/A
Cañada

Common sparrow

Spain 150 2005 2011
Cashel farm forest

Blue tit
Great tit

United Kingdom 35 2014 N/A
Choupal

Great tit

Portugal 95 2003 2006
Dalmeny

Blue tit

United Kingdom 254 2009 N/A
Dazlina & Ivinj

Black-headed bunting

Czech Republic 178 2011 N/A
Dieverzand

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 102 2007 N/A
Dinas

Pied flycatcher

United Kingdom 300 1980 N/A
Dlouhá Loučka

Blue tit
Coal tit
Collared flycatcher
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Czech Republic 500 1973 N/A
Donana

Great tit

Spain 75 2013 N/A
Dunedin Botanic Garden

Dunnock

New Zealand 466 2009 2016
Dwingeloo

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 120 2007 N/A
DWZ

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 101 2007 N/A
Dæli

Blue tit
Great tit

Norway 555 1992 N/A
East Dartmoor

Blue tit
Coal tit
Common redstart
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Marsh tit
Pied flycatcher

United Kingdom 313 1952 N/A
Forest of Dean

Pied flycatcher

United Kingdom 411 1981 2019
Forstenrieder Park

Blue tit
Great tit

Germany 420 2019 N/A
Garscube campus

Blue tit
Great tit

United Kingdom 40 2014 N/A
Gdańsk-Sobieszewo

Blue tit
Great tit

Poland 72 2022 N/A
Gdańsk-Stogi

Blue tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit

Poland 200 2022 N/A
Glimmen

Jackdaw

Netherlands 110 1996 N/A
Gotland

Blue tit
Great tit

Sweden 2700 2002 N/A
Gough Island

Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross
Sooty albatross
Southern giant petrel
Tristan albatross

200 2005 N/A
Grobla - Niepołomice Forest

Blue tit
Collared flycatcher
Great tit

Poland 260 1998 N/A
Gulya-domb

Great tit

Hungary 49 2019 N/A
Harjavalta

Blue tit
Coal tit
Crested tit
Great tit
Pied flycatcher
Tree sparrow

Finland 798 1991 N/A
Hochstadt

Great tit

Germany 120 2013 N/A
Hochstadt

Great tit

Germany 120 2013 N/A
Hoge Veluwe

Blue tit
Coal tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher
Tree sparrow

Netherlands 450 1955 N/A
Kelvingrove park

Blue tit
Great tit

United Kingdom 66 2014 N/A
Kevo

Common redstart
Great tit
Pied flycatcher
Siberian tit

Finland 1289 1981 N/A
Kilingi-Nõmme

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Estonia 2062 1971 N/A
Kuusamo

Siberian tit

Finland 330 1982 N/A
La Hiruela

Pied flycatcher

Spain 199 1984 N/A
Lakselvdalen Troms

Pied flycatcher

Norway 400 1996 N/A
Lancaster

Blue tit

United Kingdom 111 1997 N/A
Lasy Szwalewskie / Szwalewo Forest

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Poland 500 N/A
Lheebroek

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 107 2007 N/A
Liesbos

Blue tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 100 1955 N/A
Loch Katrine

Common redstart
Pied flycatcher

United Kingdom 272 1974 2015
Lundy island

Common sparrow

United Kingdom 120 2000 N/A
Malmö

Great tit

Sweden 400 2012 N/A
Maria

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 65 2007 N/A
Mariola

Coal tit
Great tit

Spain 180 2002 N/A
Mayachino

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Russia 401 1979 N/A
Metu

Coal tit
Great tit

Turkey 95 2013 N/A
Midzomer

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 63 2007 N/A
Mierzeja Wiślana / Vistula Spit

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Poland 575 1977 1988
Miraflores

Blue tit

Spain 180 2011 N/A
Mont Ventoux

Blue tit
Great tit

France 142 1976 N/A
Montesclaros

Pied flycatcher

Spain 81 1987 N/A
Montpellier City

Blue tit
Great tit

France 201 1992 N/A
Moulis

Blue tit
Great tit

France 731 2011 N/A
Murcia

Great tit

Spain 150 2020 N/A
Muro

Blue tit
Great tit

France 223 1992 N/A
North Monomoy Island, USA

Common tern

USA 4000 1972 1979
Okehampton

Blue tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

United Kingdom 300 1974 N/A
Oosterhout

Blue tit
Great tit

Netherlands 150 1956 N/A
Oude Willem

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 101 2007 N/A
Oulu

Blue tit
Great tit
Willow tit

Finland 442 1969 N/A
Peerdbos

Blue tit
Coal tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Belgium 463 1979 N/A
Peerdsbos West

Blue tit
Great tit

Belgium 178 2015 2019
Petrozavodsk

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Russia 127 2015 N/A
Pilis-Visegrád Mountains

Blue tit
Collared flycatcher
Great tit

Hungary 903 1982 N/A
Pirio

Blue tit
Great tit

France 207 1976 N/A
Radolfzell

Blue tit
Great tit

Germany 316 2017 N/A
Ram Island, USA

Common tern

USA 3100 1970 2005
Revinge

Blue tit
Marsh tit

Sweden 650 1983 N/A
Revinge Strix

Tawny owl

142 2016 N/A
Robertsau

Great tit

France 40 2014 N/A
Rouviere

Blue tit
Great tit

France 333 1991 N/A
Ruinen

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 108 2007 N/A
Sagunto

Great tit

Spain 500 1986 N/A
Sallochy

Blue tit
Great tit

United Kingdom 77 2014 N/A
Santo Stefano Quisquina

Blue tit
Great tit

Italy 150 1993 N/A
Scene

Blue tit
Great tit

United Kingdom 250 2014 N/A
Schiermonnikoog

Eurasian oystercatcher

Netherlands 200 1983 N/A
Schöpfl

Coal tit
Great tit

Austria 286 2010 2015
Sekocin Forest

Great tit

Poland 253 2012 N/A
Silwood Park

Blue tit

United Kingdom 270 2002 N/A
Silwood Park

Blue tit

United Kingdom 270 2002 N/A
Strasbourg

Great tit

France 82 2014 N/A
Szentgál

Great tit

Hungary 96 2013 N/A
Teign Valley

Pied flycatcher

United Kingdom 225 1981 N/A
Tomakomai

Coal tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Marsh tit
Varied tit

Japan 350 2009 2015
Torenlaan

Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 100 2007 N/A
Valsaín

Pied flycatcher

Spain 300 1991 N/A
Velký Kosíř

Blue tit
Collared flycatcher
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit

Czech Republic 465 1997 N/A
Veszprém

Great tit

Hungary 118 2013 N/A
Vilma-puszta

Great tit

Hungary 110 2013 N/A
Vlieland

Blue tit
Great tit

Netherlands 500 1955 N/A
Vomb Fure

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Sweden 400 2015 N/A
Vosbergen

Blue tit

Netherlands 210 2001 N/A
Wantzenau

Great tit

France 60 2014 N/A
Warnsborn

Blue tit
Great tit
Marsh tit
Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 125 1967 N/A
Warsaw

Blue tit
Great tit

Poland 565 2016 N/A
Westerheide

Blue tit
Coal tit
Eurasian nuthatch
Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Netherlands 440 1993 N/A
Westerholz

Blue tit

Germany 277 2007 N/A
Wilrijk

Blue tit
Great tit

Belgium 131 2001 N/A
Wytham Woods

Blue tit
Great tit

United Kingdom 1203 1947 N/A
Zvenigorod

Great tit
Pied flycatcher

Russia 715 1996 N/A


PROJECTS


PUBLICATIONS


CONFERENCES

18/11/2020

Two exciting news!

First, the SPI-birds paper is out in Journal of Animal Ecology. It is Open Access and you can read it here.

Second, SPI-Birds has received Dutch Data Prize. A nice cover of both topics (the paper and the Prize) can be found in the press release here.

02.07.2020

Open Science prize for Antica Culina's SPI-Birds project. Read more here

02.07.2020

Job - we are looking for a postdoc to join SPI-Birds team for one year. More info here.

12.03.2020

Our first 2020 newsletter is now out. We brief on a steep income of new data, our logo, and version contol protocol.

18.12.2019

SPI-Birds team member Stefan Vriend visited the Animal Ecology group at Radboud University in Nijmegen and talked about the value of short-term and long-term breeding data of marked individuals, the increasing need to establish a well-defined community for data archiving, standardization and access, and the objectives and workflow of SPI-Birds Network and Database. Find a link here to the slides of his presentation (NB: part of the content is made by Liam Bailey).

16.12.2019

The final Newsletter of 2019 is now out. In this newsletter we summarize what we have achieved in 2019, the year in which SPI-Birds have launched. We also look into our exciting plans for 2020, which include a new team member, Dr. Chloé Nater, SPI-Birds paper, and introduction of SPI-Birds Technical reports. And of course, the continuous increase in the number of populations with the pipelines for data standardization. 

 

21.10.2019 

In our third Newsletter we introduce: 1) new data and pipelines added to the database; 2) the pipeline code that transforms data into a standard format has now been published online 3) data quality checks preformed on the original data to detect any potential errors.

 

19.08.2019 

Our second Newsletter updates on:1) several new populations for which the pipelines have been created; 2) the newest version of the standard protocol (i.e. a standard format in which any data are mapped onto using the pipelines); 3) construction of the quality check of the data, currently underway.

Version 1.0.0 of the standard protocol for bird breeding data is available here.

 

20.06.2019 

We are excited to publish the first SPI-Birds Newsletter! With this first issue, we officially launch SPI-Birds, and introduce SPI-Birds team members.

Please use the form to:

1) get advice on setting up a new population with individually marked breeders.

2) enquire about student projects and interships.

3) ask any other questions, or give comments on SPI-Birds.

NB. Please send your data request or any questions to Antica Culina (a.culina@nioo.knaw.nl)

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