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Are you entering every bird you see? Here's why it's important!

April 1, 2009
Are you entering every bird you see? Here's why it's important!

On every eBird checklist birders are asked a simple question: "Are you submitting a complete checklist of the birds you saw/heard?" Though simple in concept, the power of reporting all species should not be underestimated. By submitting a complete checklist of the birds you saw or heard to the best of your ability, you are telling us not only about the birds you found, but you're also telling us that you did NOT observe a suite of other potential species. By submitting a complete checklist of birds we can learn more about where a species occurs with regularity, but equally important we can begin to say with certainty where it does not occur. This allows us to map entire species' ranges with more accuracy. When you submit a complete checklist of birds to eBird you're gathering data for only the species you observed, you are also gathering important "negative data" on a suite of other birds.

Some observers are confused by the meaning of the question: "Are you submitting a complete checklist of the birds you saw/heard?" What if you saw some birds that you couldn't identify? Do you then answer "no"? We want to find out whether you are reporting all the birds you were able to identify to the best of your ability. In other words, answer "Yes" to this question when you submit more than just the highlights of your birding event, and try to note every species present. We realize that all birds are not identifiable and user abilities vary. You should always answer "Yes" to this question unless you are purposefully excluding some species (e.g., European Starlings) from your checklist. You do not need to count all the individuals you observe to answer "Yes" to this question. A complete checklist indicates all species observed, and while estimates of numbers are valuable, they are not necessary to submit a complete checklist. We do, however, strongly recommend estimating numbers for each species on your list. Your best estimate always tells us more than an "X", which could be 1 or it could be 1,000,000!

When eBird users submit complete checklists of birds it allows us to do a variety of interesting things. We can show where a species is found and where it hasn't been reported. We can calculate the chances that a species will be found at a given time of year in a certain locations. We can also begin to understand detectability, in other words, how easy or hard it is for birders to find a certain species. For instance, it's much easier to find singing Shining in spring than it is to find them when silent in the autumn.

The Kereru/ New Zealand Pigeon map above shows the power of reporting all species. The orange dots show where birders have submitted complete checklists that include native forest, but have not detected Kereru. The green dots are where we have checklist from native forest with Kereru. These are different from the tan areas, where we do not have enough complete checklists submitted determine whether kereru are found there. From this map we can see that kereru are found in the west and north of the south siland but are rarer in central Canterbury. But we can't determine if they are found in much of south Canterbury, because we don't have enough complete checklists from this region.

Submitting complete checklists of birds allows eBird to realize its full potential and creates better lists for its users. Everyone likes highlights and the rare and unusual birds they see on their outings, but don't forget the common birds. By submitting data for all species you're collecting important information about all species, allowing us to make informed decisions about the next generation of rarities or species of special concern. Please report all species on every checklist you submit!

 

Thanks

 

Team eBird