eBird Gulf Coast Oil Spill Bird Tracker

May 6, 2010

As oil continues to gush into the ocean from the Deepwater Horizon well, Gulf Coast bird watchers are taking action by surveying beaches and marshes for birds. Team eBird has produced the eBird Gulf Coast Oil Spill Bird Tracker gadget that can be embedded in your iGoogle page for quick access to the eBird database. This gadget includes ten focal species of conservation concern that could be impacted by the current oil spill. For each species, we display hundreds of recent Gulf Coast sightings on a map along with count information. This information can effectively steer beach protection and cleanup efforts to the sites with the greatest concentrations of birds and most important habitats.

This gadget is driven by the eBird point maps. The data displayed is for the five Gulf Coast states since April 2010. To explore these, remember that the maps show only the markers for this recent period. To find out more information on the report, click on the stickpin and you will see the location name as well as a list of all the recent reports with the observer's name and the species counts. Note that the stickpins with a plus symbol (+) are ones that represent multiple locations; simply click on them to see the full gamut of points.

Also, please remember that it is easy to change to a different species, region, or date range. Just notice the options for these changes at the top of your screen. Many other species, like Black Skimmer, Sandwich, Gull-billed, Least and Forster's Terns, and even offshore species like Audubon's Shearwater and Bridled Tern, are at risk too. The ten we have selected are simply some of the most conspicuous, engaging, and at risk species.

To add the gadget to your iGoogle page, notice the small google icon at the bottom left of the gadget.

Thanks to the following Birdshare photographers who provided photos:

Brown Pelican, byard

Roseate Spoonbill, Marcus Sharpe

American Oystercatcher, Vina...!!!

Reddish Egret, bmajoros

Red Knot, Chris Wood

Royal Tern, Donald Thompson

Snowy Plover, Brian Sullivan

Wilson's Plover, longspur

Seaside Sparrow, Bob Devlin

Clapper Rail, Greg Page

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