Abstract
I tested the usefulness of sound recordings compared with line transects for estimating bird species richness in a temperate broad-leaved forest. Many of the common species recorded by both methods showed similar and high occurrence rates (the percent of the number of line transect censuses or sound recordings in which a bird species was detected/total number of line transect censuses or sound recordings). And many species recorded only by one of the methods showed lower occurrence rates. The numbers of species detected by the sound recordings at fixed and random sites did not differ significantly.Relationships between the elapsed time and the cumulative numbers of species detected by each line transect census and sound recording showed that both methods yield a similar measure of species richness. The results of the present study indicate that sound recordings perform as well as line transect censuses for assessing bird species richness in a temperate broad-leaved forest.
