The protocol was created based on data collected through point count method with parallel mist netting of four sites: reforestation area, parang vegetation, disturbed montane forest and pristine montane forest. Point counts were done by listing bird species and number of individuals per station in a span of 15-20 minutes. There were a maximum number of 12-point count stations per site, spaced approximately 200 meters apart. Mist nets were set adjacently per point count stations. The nets were layered with ground nets (0-5 m layer) and sky nets (5-10 m, 10-15 m layers). Data collection was done from April 13-25 and July 9-17, 2003 at Mount Talomo, near Barangay Tamayong, Calinan District, Davao City.

Field-testing of the crafted Upland Bird Monitoring Protocol was conducted from September 19-25, 2003 at Sitio Utan, Upper Tamayong, Calinan District, Davao City. The local participants surveyed birds along established monitoring stations at the parang and disturbed montane forest. They were instructed to record birds using their native dialect in simple data sheets. They were to include what portion of the trees the birds were found and the activity the birds were performing at that instant.

A total of 90 species of forest-associated birds were observed. Forty-one (41) of these birds were breeding residents and 46 were endemic. Twenty (20) species of the birds observed belong to the 58 threatened bird species in Mindanao. Species richness was highest in parang vegetation whereas percentage of endemics per site was highest in disturbed and pristine montane forests. The data demonstrate high bird endemicity in Mt. Talomo, which show that the environment in the Talomo-Lipadas Watershed is still very viable for birds.

Forty-one (41) species out of the 90 observed were chosen to be included in the Upland Birds Monitoring Protocol based on current ecological status/threat category, feeding guilds, tolerance to disturbance, conspicuousness, local status/use and local names. These birds made up the short list of indicator species. Of the 41 indicator species, 36 were accounted for by the local stakeholders during the field-testing of the crafted protocol.