Community science as a potential tool to monitor animal demography and human-animal interactions.

ABSTRACT: Community science can provide crucial insights into population dynamics and demography. To date, its effectiveness for understanding human-wildlife interactions has not been tested. This is vital for designing effective wildlife management plans. We used a case study of an individually marked population of mute swans Cygnus olor, to test the reliability of community scientist data for quantifying self-reported interactions. We compared 5,251 community scientist sightings of individually marked birds with 317 observations recorded through systematic recording methods, to test the reliability of sightings, and of self-reported human-swan interactions. 98.86% of ring readings were correctly reported; sighting reliability increased with experience and was higher when the observer fed the birds

SUBMITTER: Marechal L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11751146 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature