Birding News and Features

Overcome Those Fears: Why You Shouldn't Worry About Your Checklists

Even the most experienced birders express apprehension about their eBird checklists. So, it's not surprising that teachers worry about their students’ data - they often wonder, what if the data is not good enough for the eBird database? What if something goes wrong? What if a species is misidentified? What if the date of the sighting is entered incorrectly? These are understandable concerns, given that most students are new to birding and that scientists and people around the world rely on the quality of the data. Without question, the accuracy of eBird data is important, but it shouldn't keep you up at night. Professionals at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have designed the eBird program to evaluate the vast amount of data entered each year, and you have the tools to help your students make the cut, every time.

What's a BirdSleuth Schoolyard anyway?

Are you really making Casual Observations?

We've noticed at eBird that many observers are choosing the "Casual Observation" methodology when in fact they are actually conducting more rigorous types of surveys while birding. Casual Observations are of limited value because there is little effort information required, which allows them to be used in fewer analyses because we know less about how you went birding. It's important to let us know what kind of effort you put into making your observations. Please read on for a better understanding of the eBird methodology choices, and to learn how to make your data most valuable.