FAQ

What is eBird?

eBird is an on-line checklist project where you can enter and store your bird observations in a central database, track your personal records, and share your observations with other birders and scientists.

Why should I submit my observations?

Our knowledge of annual distribution, abundance, and movement patterns of North American birds is incomplete. By submitting your observations, not only can you keep track of the birds you see throughout the year from all over North America, but ornithologists can use your observations to help fill in the gaps in our knowledge about birds.

Why is a central repository of observations important?

For years bird watchers have recorded their observations and stored them on bookshelves, in closets, or more recently on computers. Birders are able to use their records to look for interesting patterns or trends, but lacked an easy way to put their results in the “bigger picture." A central database of observations allows you, as well as scientists and amateur naturalists, to look at large geographic areas and address questions on a larger scale. All of the observers out there can contribute more data in the form of regular observations than any scientist, or team of scientists, could collect on their own.

I have years of observations stored on my computer. Can I upload them to eBird?

While we want to fill up the database with as much historical data as possible, currently we cannot upload existing computerized files. We hope to implement this function soon, so keep checking back.

How will you use my observations?

Biologists are interested in knowing where the birds are throughout the year. From the data collected through eBird, we’ll be able to determine where each species breeds and winters, which pathways migratory birds use to get from the breeding grounds to the wintering grounds, when birds typically arrive in specific areas, and which species' ranges are expanding or contracting. Watching these numbers over time will show whether populations are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable at local, state, regional, and continental levels. Once trends are identified, more detailed studies can help determine why they are occurring.

How will other "eBirders" use my observations?

Bird watchers may be interested in finding out which bird species occur in their local parks, refuges, or region, or where certain species are throughout the year. Using eBird's data analysis tools, they will be able to search the eBird database for information on individual species or locations. Your observations will appear anonymously on the data summary they requested, helping them answer their questions.

How do I submit my birds?

Observations are entered on an interactive checklist. To submit your observations, we need to know how many of each species you counted. But first we need to know just a few other pieces of key information: where and when you were bird watching, and the effort you put into making your observations. Starting at the home page, click "Submit Observations" and you are on your way!

I saw lots of birds. Do I have to submit all of them?

If you didn’t record all of the birds you observed, or if you want to share only a few highlights, that’s fine, just make sure you enter “No” in the box that asks, “Are you reporting all the birds you observed?” Of course, we encourage you to submit all of the birds that you identified.

What do you mean by “effort” and why do I have to enter time and distance information?

Information about how much time you spent watching birds and how far you traveled will help us determine the relative abundance of the birds you reported. For example, finding 50 Black-capped Chickadees in 15 minutes while standing in one place indicates a much different density of chickadees than if you recorded 50 Black-capped Chickadees in four hours while driving 10 miles. Without the time and distance information, eBird biologists won’t be able to make a reliable estimate of density.

What if I don’t know one or more of the core fields?

If you don’t know location, try selecting a broader geographical area. For example, if you know you were in the town of Cape May, New Jersey, but don’t know the exact location of your sighting, enter your sighting at the town level. The information won’t be as useful as information provided from a more precise location, but it will still be meaningful to eBird biologists and fellow bird watchers.
If you are reporting only the highlights of the species you observed, answer “No” in the box that asks, “Are you reporting all the birds you observed?” You can still enter the numbers of individuals of each species you did identify, but we’ll know that you aren’t reporting the total number of species.
If you don’t know the exact number of individuals for each species, still answer “Yes” in the box that asks, “Are you reporting all the birds you observed?” You can enter numbers for each species if you have them, or "X" to indicate that a species was simply present.
If you can’t provide effort information (how far you walked, how long you were recording birds) you can enter your observations as “Incidental Sightings”.

I don’t count birds. Can I still enter my observations?

Yes, and you should still answer “Yes” in the box that asks, “Are you reporting all the birds you observed?” enter an “X” for each species you observed. Of course, we’d like to encourage you to start counting! Knowing that a bird was seen at a specific location on a specific date gives information about the distribution, but not the abundance. Knowing how many individuals you recorded will help eBird biologists determine the abundance of birds.

Why was I asked to confirm an observation?

In developing the eBird project, state and provincial experts have created an estimate of the maximum number of individuals of a species you are likely to see during certain times of the year throughout the United States and Canada. Your observation exceeded this number, or you reported a bird in a place that it doesn’t typically appear. However, we realize that birds often show up in unexpected places at unexpected times, and sometimes in numbers greater than we expect. Therefore, when an observation that exceeds the maximum expected number is submitted, we notify a state or provincial expert for verification. You are asked to confirm the submission so we know you meant to report that number of individuals for the species you selected, and that it wasn’t merely a typographic error.

Why do you ask if weather affected my observations?

Wind and rain affect how well you can hear birds singing, and how active birds are. If you are reporting all of the birds you saw and weather conditions affected your ability to detect birds, we’ll be able to determine that the inventory of birds is incomplete due to weather. More importantly, if you consistently submit reports from the same location and you note a drop or increase in numbers for a specific time period, eBird biologists may be able to determine whether the absence or presence of species was due to weather or because the birds really weren’t there.

How do I use the interactive map?

A set of map tools help you find the area you are interested in by allowing you to

zoom in and out (see a larger or more specific area),
re-center the map,
move in any particular direction.

Zooming in and out on the map

Use this option to change the magnification on the map. Zoom in to see a smaller area but more detail, or zoom out to expand the view on the map and see less detail.

To change the level of magnification, use the zoom bar below the map. The current level of magnification is shown as a dark square, the others are light colored. Click the buttons labeled "Zoom In" or "Zoom Out" (located on either side of the bar) to change the magnification one step at a time, or click directly to the level you wish by clicking the appropriate button on the zoom bar.

To zoom in and re-center the map at the same time, select the "Zoom In" radio button immediately below the map. With this option selected, when you click an area on the map, the location you clicked becomes the new center and the map's magnification increases by one step.

Re-centering the map

Use this option to change the centered location on the map without changing the level of magnification.

To re-center the map, select the "Re-center" radio button immediately below the map. With this option selected, when you click an area on the map, the location you clicked becomes the new center with no change in magnification.

Moving in a specific direction

use this option to move the map in any of eight different directions.

To move in a specific direction, use the map's frame. When you click on the top frame the map view moves North, clicking on the bottom frame moves the map South, clicking on the left frame moves West, and clicking on the right frame moves East. Clicking in the corners will move the map Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, or Southeast.

Use your browser's back button to return to the page you were working on.

I want to View and Explore Data using the interactive map. What can I do on this page?

The interactive map, coupled with the set of graphs that eBird will also display with your question, is an immensely powerful set of tools to help answer questions about the distribution and abundance of birds. To create maps and graphs, choose the

geographic area,
date range,
and species,
then update the map.

How do I select the geographic area?: A set of map tools help you to find the area you are interested in. Click here for help using the map tools.

How do I choose a date range?

Use the Select a Date Range box to choose a date range. To choose the month, day, and year, either

use the drop-down fields - click on the fields individually to set the Day, Month, and Year,
or use the Pop-up Calendar function - click the pop-up calendar icon next to the Start Date (or End Date) field, which opens a small window showing a calendar. Click on the date you wish to start (or end) the report.

Hint: eBird automatically lists the date of the earliest and the most-recently submitted checklists below the Start Date and End Date fields. This allows you to set the dates more accurately: if no checklists were submitted until 1989, you don't need to query the database all the way back to 1960!

How do I choose the species?

Use the Select a Species box to choose up to five species. The list shows only those birds that have been reported from the area displayed on the map, regardless of the date range set in the Select a Date Range box. The species list is displayed in taxonomic order.

To select multiple species, click on the first species you are interested in. Scroll down to the next species of interest, and click it while holding the "Control" key (PC) or "Apple" key (Mac). You can do this for up to five different species. The map won't differentiate between the different species (all dots will be green), but eBird will plot each species separately on the graphs, allowing you to make direct comparisons.

Update the map.

Click "Update." eBird will scour the database, searching for all observations that meet your criteria. All observations of the species you selected that were submitted during the date range you selected will be displayed as a green dot on the map. A gray "X" represents a checklist that was submitted during the time period, but that did not include the species you chose.

If the bird you are looking for is not on the list, it means it hasn't yet been reported in the area displayed on the map.

Hint: to find a bird without having to scroll, highlight any bird in the list, then type the first letter of the name of the bird you're trying to find (for example, "A" for "American Robin"). You'll automatically jump to the next species beginning with "A." If the highlighted bird is not American Robin, hit "A" again to jump to the next bird name starting with "A." Keep going until you hit American Robin!

View and explore observations using eBird's interactive map page.