
Random Ground Transects 
One of the main fallacies in our present method of conducting the 
January Abundance Index is that the majority of areas covered include 
optimum wintering habitat and there is insufficient information fron 
large areas of low abundance. Observers who are asked to make a count 
in a certain part of the country naturally select the area where they 
can record the largest number of birds with the minimum amount of 
effort. On the other hand, if all areas were selected on a purely 
random basis it would require a big increase in personnel and expense. 
In order to test the practicability of random transects in those 
parts of the wintering renge where the snipe population is relatively 
widespread, 50 5-minute intersections of latitude and longitude in 
southern Louisiana (south of 30° 15' n. lat.) were selected by a 
random drawing. Each spot was then marked on a topographic map, and 
a 20—mile route was laid out starting at the nearest road (if there 
was a road within 5 miles) and running as closely as possible in a 
northerly direction, If no road to the north was available, or if 
part of the road to the north was already included in another transect, 
an east or west road was selected. 
Map 2 shows the locations of the starting points of the 50 random 
transects. Eighteen of these routes could not be covered for lack of 
roadse Four others were not covered for other reasons. The remain- 
ing 28 routes were run between January 26 and February 16. Some 
routes ran through excellent snipe country, while others included 
little or no suitable habitat. In some cases the routes had to be 
laid out along main highways, but in most instances they were along 
little-used roads. In a few cases last minute changes in routes had 
to be made because of flooded highways or a missing bridge; but all 
necessary detours were laid out on an arbitrary basis, taking the road 
most closely approximating the original route. 
Results of the random ground transects may be summarized as 
follows: 
Total Mean 
Dates: Jan. 26-29, Feb. 10-16 
Number of routes covered: 28 
Length of each route 20 miles 
Total time afield (transportation 
to and from the route excluded: 32.6 hrs. 70 minutes 
Time on foot 365 minutes 20 % 
Number of stops 173 6.2 
Noe of stops with snipe recorded 28 1.0 
Percentage of stops with snipe 16.2 
Total number of snipe 683 2h oly 
No. of snipe per stop 3.95 
No. of snipe per hour afield 21.0 
No. of snipe per hour on foot 112 
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