Birding News and Features
North American Big Day Record Broken
On April 19th the EDG Birding Team sponsored by Nikon Sport Optics and Birding America set a new Big Day record for the ABA area with 260 species. The day started in the Texas Hill Country and ended in the rice fields of the central Texas Coast. The team, consisting of Ken Behrens, Pete Hosner, Michael Retter, and Cameron Cox, experienced an incredible day of birding…
Weird NJ! eBird and the World Series of Birding
In order to be a useful tool for teams competing in this year's World Series of Birding, eBird is exposing information on all WSB notable species through its Notable Birds Gadget for New Jersey, hosted by New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Bird Observatory. You can view the gadget here. Teams can check the gadget for up-to-the-minute information on species relevant to the World Series of Birding, find out where, when and by whom each bird was seen--it'll even give you directions! In the days leading up to the event on 10 May, species that are otherwise "not-so-rare" in New Jersey will be visible to the gadget. After the event the New Jersey gadget will return to normal. Good luck to all teams!
Download My Data Released!
Birders have asked for eBird functionality that allows one to back up their data on home computers. We have built a tool for this, and are pleased to announce its release. We've recently added the ability for users to retrieve a file containing all the data they've ever entered into eBird in spreadsheet format, which can be easily read using Microsoft Excel, manipulated and analyzed using tools outside eBird, and saved and stored on your home computers. This new tool gives users the ability to analyze their own raw data and to look at patterns in their own observations beyond what the eBird View and Explore data tools now provide. The idea is to make eBird as versatile as possible, and give you the raw data in order to allow you to perform your own data exploration!
Bird Watchers Urgently Needed to Track Rusty Blackbirds
Populations of Rusty Blackbirds are crashing! Their numbers have plummeted by as much as 88-98% over the last few decades, according to data gathered between 1966 and 2006 for the North American Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count. A species that was once considered to be abundant is rapidly disappearing before our eyes. Your observations can help save this species by arming scientists with critical information about this species' ecology during migration. Bird watchers across North America are being asked to help scientists track spring migrant Rusty Blackbirds from April 1-7 using the eBird online checklist program. Your observations of this species can help fill in the important missing pieces of this conservation puzzle! Note: Your observations from outside this time frame are also sorely needed, so please enter any and all Rusty Blackbird records into eBird if possible!
El Grupo Cerúleo to Receive Conservation Award
Congratulations to all members of El Grupo Cerúleo, an international group of scientists dedicated to the study and conservation of Cerulean Warblers. The Chief of the U. S. Forest Service at the Office of International Programs has awarded the group the Wings across the Americas International Partnership Award for 2008. The award is given in recognition of the group's efforts to develop the assessment of the nonbreeding range of the Cerulean Warbler in South America. Priority Migrant eBird contributed significantly to this effort. Read on to learn more about this collaboration and Priority Migrant eBird.
