To conduct a beach census the scone stretch of beach should be surveyed 

 each time at regular intervals. Once every three or four weeks is quite 

 satisfactory. In this way one will derive an index of which animals have 

 occurred, when they occur, and in what abundance. To record all animals 

 that wash in one would have to survey constantly, a very impractical 

 alternative. Each animal encountered is identified and then cast into 

 the dunes so as not to be counted on the next census. When surveying, 

 look for carcasses between and in the highest and the lowest tide lines. 

 You will find the fewest specimens at the water's edge. 



Many museums very much want to acquire specimens so in some cases 

 removal might entail transport of carcasses to a museum. In the case of 

 any marine mammal and any endangered species removal is unlawful without 

 a permit; one should merely notify the museum of the animals' whereabouts. 

 Enforcement of these laws is strict. Since it is technically unlawful 

 to "collect" or possess any migratory bird specimen without a federal 

 permit, it is best to be associated, if only in a verbal agreement, with 

 an institution that has such a permit. You will, of course, have to turn 

 over specimens to that institution. The knowledge gained from beached 

 bird censuses is thus further increased when the specimens provided to 

 museums become available for future study. 



Figure 1 gives an example of a form for recording beach census data. 

 Its use makes analysis of data at a later date much easier. 



USE OF THE MANUAL 



This manual includes most of the birds and mammals that have occurred 

 in marine waters from the Bering Strait, Alaska, along the North American 

 coast south to Cabo San Lucas, the southern tip of Baja California, 

 Mexico. It even includes most, but not all, of the species known to have 

 occurred only one or two times in this area. It does not include many of 

 the Asian species that have occurred in the central and western Aleutian 

 Islands. 



The first bird keys and first part of the mammal keys are extremely 

 important, as these identify the major group or family to which an animal 

 belongs. In the "Key to Bird Keys" you will be directed to use another 

 set of keys. There are, however, several species that key out only in 

 the Key to Bird Keys Section. You initially have one of four bird keys 

 to consult depending on the size (wing length) of the specimen. In 

 these keys, in those to which one is then directed, and in the mammal 

 keys, one is always given two choices, for example, 1 and 1'. To decide 

 which choice best fits the animal being identified, ALWAYS READ BOTH 

 CHOICES ENTIRELY. After each choice will be a number that refers to the 

 next choices to be considered or the species name of the animal, depending 

 on how far along you are. 



If you have difficulty in deciding which choice fits your animal, 

 follow both through several further choices in the key to see how other 

 characters fit. Then make your initial choice. In some instances, you 

 will only be able to key out an animal to two or more rather similar 

 species. 



