Welcome to PurasAves
Birding News and Features
Banner Image Photographers
We’d like to thank the photographers who provided the images that appear at the top of each page. Juan Pablo “Chespi” Elizondo took the following photos: “Home” page image of the Sunbittern (La Marta Reserve in Turrialba); Brown Violet-ear on the “Submit Observations” page (La Cinchona hummingbird feeders); birders on the “View and Explore Data” page (Tarcoles River Bridge); and Golden-hooded Tanager on the “My eBird” page (La Paz Waterfall Gardens). Chespi is the national coordinator for Partners in Flight and in charge of communications for the Asociación Ornitoliógica de Costa Rica. He lives on Cerro de La Muerte and divides his time between birding, banding and photography. To learn more visit www.pablochespi.com The Wedge-billed Woodcreeper image on the “About eBird” page was taken by Esteban Biamonte. Esteban is a biologist and on the board of directors of the Costa Rican Ornithologist Union. Thanks to Viviana Ruiz for this photo of a male Green Honeycreeper.
Are you reporting all species? You should!
When you submit a checklist to eBird you have a choice - report all the species you found or just some. It's far better to report every species you identified. Why? If you only report some species, we don't know why you didn't report other species. Most people probably report all the Ornate Hawk-Eagles (Spizaetus ornatus) that they see, but what about more common birds? It may be that you just don't like Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus), so you don't want to report any. It may be that you were in a hurry, and didn't have time to enter the grackles into PurasAves. Or maybe you think grackles are always so common, that they are not worth noting. But it could be that you didn't report any grackles because they weren't around. The question on the checklist that asks "Are you reporting all the species you identified?' allows us to get at this difference. The difference between not observing and not reporting a species is what makes reporting all the species you found very important.
