Welcome to eBird

Birding News and Features

Effort-based Observations -- An eBird Thank You!

September 29, 2008

At eBird we strive to gather data from birders in a useful way, and then make these data available to science and conservation. eBird allows birders to select from four methodology choices, three of which have associated effort information, thereby greatly enhancing the utility of the data. Back in June we made a plea to eBird users for more observations with effort, in the hope of pushing more eBirders away from using "Casual Observations" and toward using the three effort-based protocols. We'd like to thank those of you that have graduated to effort-based birding, and here we'd like to share some of the recent good news concerning the decrease in overall use of "Casual Observations" as a birder's "default" methodology.

Ron Pittaway's Winter Finch Forecast 2008-2009

September 19, 2008

This winter's theme is where will crossbills go and will they irrupt south? Both species wandered widely this summer. Cone crops are poor in the Atlantic Provinces and fair to moderate in Western Canada. In Ontario, spruce crops are fair to good west and east of Lake Superior and in central Ontario such as Algonquin Park, but cone abundance diminishes rapidly northwards into the boreal forest. White pine (Ontario's provincial tree) has heavy cone crops in most areas. The hemlock crop is poor in central Ontario. The white birch crop is fair to good west and east of Lake Superior to Lake Ontario, but poor in the boreal forest. The mountain-ash (rowan berry) crop is excellent in Ontario and Western Canada, but poor in the Atlantic Provinces. Individual finch forecasts apply mainly to Ontario, but adjacent provinces and states may find the forecast of interest.

August 2008 Taxonomic Update

September 16, 2008

With the August 2008 release of the 49th supplement of the AOU Check-List, it is time again for a revision of the common names, scientific names, and species order used in eBird. These revisions occur twice a year--in January and August. This revision includes a large number of changes to the South American Check-List, including several "splits" (Greater Flamingo, White-collared Kite, Spot-winged and Warbling Antbirds, and Troupial) and a few "lumps". Finally, we have added many bird names that eBird users have recommended over the past several months--thanks to all for providing these. Read more about the eBird taxonomy, how it was created, what it includes and does not include.

eBird Map Quiz #11

September 12, 2008

We're pleased to introduce a new feature--the eBird Map Quiz. Early each week we will put up a map taken directly from eBird and you can try to guess the species. After awhile, we will post answers to the old "map quiz" and include a map for a new species. This map is taken directly from the Maps section in the View and Explore Data tab and includes all eBird data from all months from 2003 - 2008. Good luck! If you still see the last map, hit Control Refresh (or F5) to reload the new map image.

Help identify swift roosts!

August 08, 2008

With the recent listing of Chimney Swift as an Endangered Species in certain Canadian Provinces, and concerns about declining populations within the core breeding range in the United States, it is becoming more important to fully understand the requirements of this species and using eBird can help understand changes in its range and abundance. By collecting count information, arrival and departure dates, and other data on swifts and other species, eBird provides a comprehensive summary of millions of observations of birds within the Western Hemisphere. These sightings are shared with the Avian Knowledge Network where they can used by scientists. Please enter your Chimney Swift sightings in eBird, especially first arrivals and high counts. And please consider participating in A Swift Night Out, which calls upon observers throughout the ranges of Chimney and Vaux’s Swift to find roost sites and conduct careful counts of the swifts entering the roost.