How To eBird the Global Big Day

May 9th is the inaugural Global Big Day, where eBird and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are hoping to engage a worldwide network of birders to go out and count birds in support of global bird conservation. Our goals are to record more than 4,000 species of birds through eBird in a single calendar day, and to raise $500,000 for bird conservation. All you have to do to contribute is go birding and then submit your data to eBird–how easy and fun is that? You don’t need to commit to a full 24-hours of birding on May 9th, even an hour or 10 minutes would be a great help! Don’t forget, if you submit 5 or more checklists on May 9th, you could win free binoculars! We realize that many people who will be submitting their sightings to eBird on the 9th will be using it for the first time, so this article is intended as an introduction to both eBirding your Global Big Day, and to eBirding as a whole. Read on for information on how to submit your sightings, make them most valuable for conservation science, and to learn some tips and tricks for finding lots of birds!

We know that there are two extremes for birding efforts on the Global Big Day – people who will be spending a few minutes in their yard or at a local birding spot, and people who will be waiting at 11:59 for the clock to strike midnight, and then will bird themselves silly for the next 24 hours. Both of these birding methods, and everything in between, are welcomed and encouraged as part of the Global Big Day. All of us are here to celebrate birds, conservation, and bird diversity on a global scale, no matter how we long we spend identifying birds.

Now, you’re ready to go birding, but you might not be sure about how to get your sightings into eBird, or what the best practices are for eBirding a Big Day? We’ve got you covered.

How do I submit my sightings to eBird and the Global Big Day?

To have your sightings count for the Global Big day, they have to be entered into eBird as one or more checklists.

If you’re just starting out with eBird, we have an article that should be able to help you out with the whole process – from setting up an account to entering your first observation: read it here. Our Getting Started page has additional help if you have more questions.

Every bird counts for the Global Big Day. Whether it is a Red-winged Blackbird in your yard, or a critically endangered species on some remote island – we want to hear about it!

Global Big Day eBirding Tips

Some of you are as nuts about birding as we are, and are planning a full-scale effort for the upcoming Global Big Day on 9 May. Many (most!) of you will be taking it easier, and likely birding for a few hours or less. In either case, you will generate large quantities of valuable data for science, if you upload your observations to eBird and take a little time to ensure that you are submitting your sightings the most appropriate way! We want your big day effort to be lots of fun, but we also want it to be of highest value for conservation, ornithology, and for future birders. Here are 7 tips that will help improve the quality of your eBirding, and also increase the number of birds you can find:

Important: these are not requirements, but they are the best ways to contribute your sightings to help science and global bird conservation

1. Explore the Birding “Hotspots” in your area before going to the field. eBird’s Hotspot Explorer is a fantastic way to find out about great spots to visit for birds, and to learn more what is being seen in your area. If you do decide to go birding at an eBird hotspot, please make sure to upload your checklist to the hotspot, rather than by creating a new personal location. If you don’t go birding at a hotspot, that is great too! You can create a new location for where you went birding!
2. Make several site lists during the day. This is one of the most important ways to increase to science value of your eBirding in general, and it is especially true for a Big Day. Your sightings should be broken up between the sites that you visit as much as possible. We want to avoid lists that place seabirds on mountain tops, or highland birds on ocean beaches. Good rule of thumb—if you need to drive to your next birding location, make a separate list for the new site.
3. Keep track of sightings in the field. While you’re out birding, try to keep track of what you see at each stop before you move on to the next birding stop. The easiest way to do this is to use the BirdLog app (available from BirdsEye) on your smart phone while in the field. eBird will soon be coming out with a newer version of that same app, so stay tuned! If you don’t have a smartphone, note your sightings on a piece of paper, as well as start time, distance, and any notes that you’d like to have for later. Enter sightings as soon as you are able, so that the details of your birding are fresh in your mind.
4. Make every list a complete list. All you have to do is make sure that you are noting all species identified, even the common ones you already reported earlier in the day. Lists of all species identified are far more useful for scientific analysis of eBird data than lists that include just the highlight species.
5. Include written details, especially for rare birds. It is great to have some written comments in your checklist, both for other people who are looking at your list and are curious about the birds you saw, and for yourself! We always enjoy looking back at lists from a few years ago and reliving those birding events – as we’re sure you do too! Make sure the supporting details for rare birds actually mention the field marks you observed, and how you eliminated similar species. An excellent article on how to write supporting details can be found here.
6. Bring a camera. Cameras really help out with documenting rare birds, and these days are often small and lightweight. You can use your camera to document any rare birds that you find, and also to take photos to add to your checklists, making for some beautiful illustrated checklists such as this one.
7. Follow along with the Global Big Day! On Saturday, the Global Big Day HQ page will be updated live as people are submitting their observations from across the world. The eBird Facebook page will be updated with Team Sapsucker’s progress throughout the day as well, and you can see that on the GBD HQ page as well.

How many of the species on this map will be seen on May 9th?

Of course, most importantly, get outside, see some birds, and contribute your sightings to global bird conservation! At the end of the day, we all share common interests that go beyond any language or cultural barriers, beyond professions, political leanings, or ways of life. We all care about birds, and we’re here to show it on the Global Big Day. Almost 100 countries have already confirmed that they’ll be taking part, and thousands of people across the world will be sending their observations into eBird on May 9th.

This truly is a Global Big Day. Thank you.