Cecil College Winter Bird Habitat Restoration
By Rachel McCloskey and Holly Hemberger
Introduction
Cecil College is among many institutions to become more environmentally friendly. This
means becoming LEED certified. The recently renovated Physical Education (PE) building was
not required to meet LEED certification, however, the college attempted to restore the habitat
and use green materials in the renovation. For LEED certification, at least 50% of the natural
habitat must be either preserved or restored. One area of important concern when it comes to
the natural area around the PE building is the winter bird habitat. We are interested in
collecting data to measure how well the college has restored the area. Both quantitative and
qualitative measure of soil, water, food, and shelter for winter birds were taken to measure the
quality of this restoration. The qualitative measures are an addition to the 2011 study to
evaluate the restoration. The 2011 team simply measured the number of water and food
sources and the number of birds. The overall score for the PE winter bird habitat restoration in
this study is a 2, or minimal restoration.
Quantitative Methods
Description of scoring methods:
1. Poor restoration

No sources of food (0)

No water sources available or all toxic by EPA drinking water standards

No top soil in tested areas

Avian biodiversity score greater than 0.8
2. Minimal restoration

Minimal food sources (1 available source)

One water source present to sustain winter bird life that is within EPA drinking
water standards, all others toxic

Little top soil in tested areas (1-2 inches average)

Avian biodiversity score greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than 0.8
3. Fair restoration

Adequate amount of food sources (2 different available sources)

Two water sources present to sustain winter bird life that are within EPA drinking
water standards, others toxic

Suitable amount of top soil in tested areas (3-4 inches average)

Avian biodiversity score greater than or equal to 0.4 and less than 0.6
4. Good restoration

Good amount of food sources (3 different available sources)

Three water sources present to sustain winter bird life within EPA drinking water
standards

Good amount of top soil in tested areas (5-6 inches average)

Avian biodiversity score greater than or equal to 0.2and less than 0.4
5. Excellent restoration

Three food sources with birds involved in feeding behavior

Three water sources present within EPA drinking water standards with birds
observed utilizing water sources

Excellent amount of top soil in tested areas (6+ inches average)

Avian biodiversity score less than 0.2
Data from Measurements for Habitat Quality
Building construction destroys soil by stripping the land of top soil, or Horizon O and A,
leaving only sub soil. Even though soil is supposed to be replaced to some extent after
construction, top soil can also be washed away if the building causes a problem with run off.
Sub soil is hard and not particularly suitable for bird shelter and top soil is required to make
nests.
The quality of water sources can also be compromised by runoff. Different chemicals in
rain water that are washed from buildings, sidewalks, and parking lots and roads can
contaminate water, bringing the pH outside a safe drinking range. The EPA recommends that
drinking water be kept at a pH between 6.5 and 8.5 to be safe. These parameters will be used
to determine whether water sources are safe or not for the birds.
To take soil samples, we started immediately adjacent to the water source from the
building side, and then measured sections four meters long from the water source to the edge
of building, and took soil samples at each section. The pH was also tested by using pH strips.
Waste was measured by counting the number of visible debris in the area immediate to the
water source.
Table 1: Measurement Data from Water Source A
Water source A is a small natural seep just downhill from the PE building, immediately adjacent
to the woods.
pH: 6.2 (slightly low)
Waste: about 10 pieces around source
Distance from water Horizon O(in)
source(m)
4
0
8
0
12
0
Horizon A(in)
Sub-soil
0
0
1
All sub soil
All sub soil
Mostly sub soil
Distance 12 meters was the only measurement that had any top soil whatsoever. The soil
around this water source is not suitable for usage by winter birds for habitat.
Table 2: Measurement Data from Water Source B
Water source B is a larger pond towards the back side of the building. The water is a bit murky.
pH: 6 (low)
Waste: none
Distance from water Horizon O(in)
source(m)
4
1
8
0
12
0
16
1
Horizon A(in)
Sub-soil
1
1
1
6
Mostly sub soil
Mostly sub soil
Mostly sub soil
Sub soil farther down
The average amount of top soil (including both horizon O and horizon A) is 1.57 inches for the
seven different samples. There were only two water sources, both with pH both outside the
safe drinking water parameters.
Winter 2011 – Bird Observation Data
Birds in winter 2011 were observed with binoculars 8 by 40 with the aid of Birds of
North America to identify the bird. There were four students observing. The distance from
which most of the birds were observed was about 10 meters.
Observation Dates:

2/14/2011 : Partly Cloudy, 36 degrees Fahrenheit, Winds 5-10 mph
o Ground Cover: Snow. Approx. 4-6 inches deep
o Time : 4:15 pm - 5:45pm

2/21/2011 : Cloudy, 34 degrees Fahrenheit, Winds 10-15 mph
o Ground Cover: Snow. Approx. 4 inches deep
o Time : 4:15 pm - 5:45pm

2/28/2011 : Mostly Sunny, 40 degrees Fahrenheit, Winds light and Variable
o Ground Cover: Snow. Approx. 2-4 inches deep
o Time : 4:15 pm - 5:45pm
Winter 2012 – Bird observation Data
Observation Dates:

2/1/2012: Clear, 62 degrees Fahrenheit, Winds light and Variable
o No ground cover
o Time: 2:15 pm – 4:30 pm

2/22/12: Cloudy, 57 degrees Fahrenheit, Winds light and Variable
o No ground cover
o Time: 3:30 – 4:15
In 2012, although we spent time observing, we did not see any winter birds utilizing
water or food source, nor flying. This, however, does not affect the Avian Biodiversity scale that
was made from the winter 2011 team, which was calculated by:
Equation used for Simpson’s index: D =
(n / N)2
Table 3: Data Used to calculate Simpson’s index of biodiversity
Species
DEJO
WTSP
NOCA
RSHA
SOSP
N
n
10
10
2
1
13
36
Simpson’s Avian Biodiversity Score:
DEJO: (10/36)2 = 0.077
WTSP: (10/36)2 = 0.077
NOCA: (2/36)2 = 0.003
RSHA: (1/36)2 =0.00077
SOSP: (13/36)2 =0.1304
D= 0.288
Food Sources:
Because no food sources were observed being used by any winter birds during the winter 2012
observation dates, no food sources were recorded.
Conclusion: Scores for Variables Based on Collected Data
Food Sources: 1
No food sources were identified in this study. None were seen being utilized by birds.
Therefore, this meets the poor restoration standard and receives a score of 1.
Water Sources: 1
Although there were two water sources, both were outside the EPA’s drinking water standards
and are therefore considered unsafe for scoring purposes, and this also receives a score of 1,
meeting the poor restoration standards.
Soil Quality (for Shelter Material): 2
The average top soil amount was 1.57 inches, which meets the requirements for minimal
restoration. Runoff could have caused this average to be low, as the runoff from the Physical
Education building is rather bad. The runoff may have also caused the low pH of the two water
sources.
Avian Biodiversity: 4
Bringing in the bird counts from the 2011 winter bird study, the Avian Biodiversity score
remains unchanged even though no birds were seen this season. The score of 0.2888 meets the
requirements for good restoration, and a score of 4.
Overall Restoration Score: 2 (minimal)
The data in this study provides further insight into the conditions of the winter bird
habitat surrounding the Physical Education Building at Cecil College. The low score of 2, or
minimal, is unacceptable for a campus striving for LEED Certification. However, further study is
still required to gain a complete understanding of the restoration quality and what needs to be
done to better restore the area to be friendly to both students and winter birds.
Works Cited
LEED® for New Construction & Major Renovations. Oct. 2005. 15 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=1095>.
"Secondary Drinking Water Regulations." EPA. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 15
Feb. 2012. <http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/secondarystandards.cfm>.
Geiser Z., Meckley M., Panaro J., Ramirez L. “Cecil College: Winter Bird Habitat Restoration.” Feb. 2011.
8 Feb. 2012.