1. Abbreviation

    I generally do not like to abbreviate behavioral notes. An important detail may be ignored or considered irrelevant and discarded because it lacks a discrete category on the list. It is often an anecdotal event that offers special insight.

  2. Beyond dry facts

    If one has a personal knowledge of the individual animals being studied, observations in field notes cease to be impersonal, and an observer’s empathy can lead beyond dry facts to better intuition and insight.

  3. A study should persist

    Since we cannot interview the subject, we can only infer the past from the present. Ideally, a study should persist for at least the life span of an animal.

  4. Panda routes

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1cc4.jpg

    A detailed route of a panda foraging on bamboo shoots, showing the number of shoots eaten and droppings deposited (black spots) on May 31, 1982.