Coming soon
Nesting Bird Survey Toolbox
Find nests before clearing, record them the same way every time, and hand over a clean record. Three tools built by a biologist who does this work, on every phone on your crew.
Nesting season is when the record falls apart
Every firm that touches construction runs pre-clearing nesting bird surveys from February to August. The surveys get done. What slips is the record: a nest with no coordinates, a buffer nobody can source, photos on three phones, and a report that gets rewritten the night before it goes to the client. The toolbox fixes the record, not the biologist.
Photo app
Nestmark
A photo documentation app built just for bird nests, for research and consulting teams. Capture the nest, tap to mark it, and every photo is geotagged, timestamped and captioned with species, nest status and location. Photos drop into a numbered photo log; log rechecks and export spreadsheets or a Word survey record from the phone. Pairs well with ArcGIS Field Maps: exports carry coordinates for your project map. Everything is saved on the device and works with no signal.
Reference
Nest Buffer Reference
Agency buffer distances by species and nest type, searchable on site, with the source cited for every number. When a project manager asks where a distance came from, the answer is on the same screen.
Template
Nesting Bird Survey Report Template
A Word nesting bird survey record that matches what the app exports, so the field record and the deliverable are the same document, not two.
How a survey goes with the toolbox
Set the project once
Client, project, nest ID code, your buffers from the permit or plan, and who to call. The free Nesting Season Planner checks your clearing date against the agency season reference.
Survey, with the protocol in your pocket
Area, weather, coverage and limitations go in at the start. The protocol screen covers how to read bird behavior and what to do at a nest, so a new monitor surveys the same way as an experienced one.
Record every nest the same way
Species, stage, evidence, location, distance to the work, buffer, flagging, photos. The nest gets an ID, the photo gets a number and a caption, and the buffer links to its agency source.
Recheck and close
Open nests show as due on the schedule you set. Each check is logged until the nest is inactive or the work moves on.
Export the record
Spreadsheets for the report, a numbered photo log, and a Word survey record built from the app's own data, in the format your client already accepts.
Who it's for
Consulting firms
Put the same tools on every monitor's phone for the season, so records come back consistent no matter who was in the field. One license covers the crew.
Independent biologists
Show up with a protocol, a buffer source and a report-ready record. The toolbox is the back office you don't have.
Construction monitors
You found a nest. The app tells you what to record, the reference tells you how far to stay back, and the record is done before you leave the site.
Pricing
Digital tools, so the price is on the page. Updates for the term are included as agency guidance, buffers and regulations change.
Individual
$99
for 12 months, one payment, one biologist
- Nestmark nest photo app and Nest Buffer Reference
- Nesting Bird Survey Report Template (Word)
- Works offline on any phone; updates included
- No automatic renewal
Consulting firm
Per firm, per season
quoted for your crew size and projects
- Every monitor on the crew for the nesting season
- Your buffers, contacts and nest ID code set once for the project
- A short onboarding call for the crew lead
- Updates and support through the season
Digital tools are non-returnable. A free dashboard account is needed to open the toolbox; the Nesting Season Planner, Field Datasheet Pack and Bird Band Resighting Reference are free with any account.
Questions
Does this replace agency guidance or my project's permit?
No. The toolbox is a field tool and a reference. Your permits, plans, nesting-season dates, buffers and the project biologist's direction govern, and where the toolbox differs from them, follow them. The buffer reference cites its sources so you can check every number against the original.
Does it work without signal?
Yes. The apps run on the phone and save records on the device. Open each tool once with signal so it can store itself, then it works offline. Export and back up your records regularly; they live on your phone, not on a server.
Where does the data go?
Nowhere unless you send it. Records and photos stay on the phone until you export a spreadsheet, photo log or Word record and share it yourself.
Which species and states?
The field app and templates are species-agnostic. The buffer reference covers the agency guidance I have sourced so far and grows with updates; if a species or state you need is missing, ask and I'll add it.
Can I try it first?
Create a free dashboard account to use the free tools and see how the toolbox is laid out, or book a 15-minute call and I'll walk you through the field app.
Built and maintained by Travel Twist Biologist LLC. Not produced, reviewed or endorsed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or any state wildlife agency; agency names appear only to identify sources. Provided as is, without warranty; not legal or regulatory advice.