observations.csv

observations.csv is a tabular data resource from a GeoLocator Data Package containing relevant events (datetime and location) that typically happen in the field and provide important information for analysis. These observations should include at least equipment and, when appropriate, retrieval events, as well as ringing controls or direct sightings.

You can think of observations as your log entries in your ringing book.

An observation is described at minimum by datetime, location (latitude and longitude), ring_number, and observation_type (e.g., equipment, retrieval, or capture). In addition, sex and age_class are required (use U for unknown sex and 0 for unknown age_class).

Also include ringing events for any control group (i.e., birds ringed but not equipped with a tag).

Example: observations.csv

observations

Source: observations-table-schema.json

  • Foreign key: tag_id → tags.tag_id
  • Missing values: an empty cell, NA.
  • Other columns: only the columns listed below are allowed. Any column may be left out.
  • Required columns: those marked * must be present and must hold a value in every row, whatever the rule above allows.
Name Definition Type
ring_number*

Ring number associated with the observed bird. This is the bird-level identifier used to connect observations over time. It is not a strict foreign key because the same ring_number can appear in multiple tags rows (e.g., multiple deployments on the same bird).

Example: F58445

 string
tag_id

Unique identifier of the tag. tag_id is NOT required in this table so that you can enter any relevant ringed species (e.g., control group). Foreign key to tags.tag_id. When provided, it should refer to a deployment associated with the same bird (ring_number).

Example: 18LX

 string
observation_type*

Type of observation.

  • equipment: Attachment of the tag to the bird. If you equip a new tag at the same time as retrieving an old one from the same bird, create two dedicated rows in the dataset: one for retrieval and one for equipment.
  • retrieval: Retrieval of the data, generally through recapture and tag removal, but it can also happen through remote download readout methods (see tags.readout_method).
  • capture: General case of capturing a bird while neither deploying nor retrieving a tag. This option covers (1) recapturing a bird without a device (choose missing in device_status), (2) a capture before equipment or after retrieval, and (3) captures of individuals from the control group. Recapture/retrap are not hard-coded in the dataset, but inferred from consecutive captures of the same ring_number.
  • sighting: Known presence of the bird on a date and location outside ringing (e.g., direct field observation with a color ring).
  • other: Any other observation type. Avoid using this; if used, always provide observation_comments.
Categories
  • equipment — Equipment
  • retrieval — Retrieval
  • capture — Capture
  • sighting — Sighting
  • other — Other

Example: equipment

 string
datetime*

Date and optionally time of the observation. Accepts any valid ISO 8601 date or datetime string, including date-only (YYYY-MM-DD), full datetime in local time (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm), in UTC (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mmZ), or in any specific timezone (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm+hh:mm).

Example: 2020-03-01T22:00:00Z

 datetime
latitude*

Latitude of the observation location in decimal degrees, using the WGS84 datum.

Constraints
  • minimum: -90
  • maximum: 90

Example: 52.70442

 number
longitude*

Longitude of the observation location in decimal degrees, using the WGS84 datum.

Constraints
  • minimum: -180
  • maximum: 180

Example: 23.84995

 number
location_name

Given name of the observation location. It might be helpful to keep a human-readable name of the location to differentiate the location of different observations more easily.

Example: Mwamba center--Nest box #2

 string
device_status

Status of the tag itself (not the data inside the tag):

  • present: Tag on the bird.
  • none: No tag on the bird and this is expected (e.g., pre-equipment, post-removal, or control group). Only for observation_type='capture'.
  • missing: Tag lost by the bird. Only for observation_type='capture'. If a new tag is deployed on a bird that lost its previous tag, create two rows: one capture-missing and one equipment-present.
  • unknown: Only for observation_type='sighting'.

Can only be present for observation_type equipment or retrieval.

Categories
  • present — Present
  • none — None
  • missing — Missing
  • unknown — Unknown

Example: present

 string
observer

The name of the individual or group who made the observation.

Example: Yann Rime

 string
catching_method

Catching method according to EURING Exchange Code. Most records use M (mist net), N (on nest) or Z (unknown).

Categories
  • - — Not applicable, the bird was not caught
  • A — Actively triggered trap (by ringer)
  • B — Trap automatically triggered by the bird
  • C — Cannon net or rocket net
  • D — Dazzling
  • F — Caught in flight by anything other than a static mist net
  • G — Net just under the water surface, lifted as waterfowl swim over it
  • H — By hand, with or without hook or noose
  • L — Clap net
  • M — Mist net
  • N — On nest, any method
  • O — Any other system
  • P — Phut net
  • R — Rounded up whilst flightless
  • S — Bal-chatri or other snare device
  • T — Helgoland trap or duck decoy
  • U — Dutch net for Pluvialis apricaria
  • V — Roosting in cavity
  • W — Passive walk-in or maze trap
  • Z — Unknown

Example: M

 string
age_class*

Life stage of the bird according to the age class in EURING Exchange Code. The code describes the plumage of the bird rather than its age in years.

Categories
  • 0 — Age unknown
  • 1 — Pullus: nestling or chick, unable to fly freely
  • 2 — Full-grown, year of hatching unknown
  • 3 — First-year
  • 4 — After first-year
  • 5 — 2nd year
  • 6 — After 2nd year
  • 7 — 3rd year
  • 8 — After 3rd year
  • 9 — 4th year
  • A — After 4th year
  • B — 5th year
  • C — After 5th year
  • D — 6th year
  • E — After 6th year
  • F — 7th year
  • G — After 7th year
  • H — 8th year

Example: 1

 string
sex*

Sex of the bird according to EURING Exchange Code as male M, female F or unknown U.

Categories
  • U — Unknown
  • M — Male
  • F — Female

Example: F

 string
condition

Condition of the bird following a simplified version of the EURING Exchange Code. Assumed to be alive if not provided.

Categories
  • alive — Alive and probably healthy
  • unhealthy — Found sick, wounded or otherwise unhealthy
  • dead — Dead
  • unknown — Unknown

Example: alive

 string
mass

Mass of the tagged bird. See EURING Exchange Code. Expressed in grams.

Constraints
  • minimum: 0

Example: 23.3

 number
wing_length

Maximum chord measurement. See EURING Exchange Code. Expressed in millimeters.

Constraints
  • minimum: 0

Example: 15.4

 number
additional_metric

A list of additional measurements, facts, characteristics, or assertions about the record. Recommended best practice is to use a key:value encoding schema for a data interchange format such as JSON.

Example: {'RP3':32, 'fat':2, 'tarsusLengthInMeters':0.014, 'weightInGrams':120}

 string
observation_comments

Comments or notes about the observation.

 string