Birding News and Features

200 Countries, 8665 Species, and Counting!

When Chet Ogan submitted a checklist on the 22nd of October for Bangladesh, he probably didn't realize that this was our first checklist for the country. More than that, this checklist represented the 200th country* where eBird now has at least one checklist. This includes 8665 species contributed by over 45,000 people. We would like to thank our passionate eBirders for contributing their observations to eBird where they can help research and conservation efforts, not just in North America, but around the world. There are still many countries that lack eBird checklists, and many species have yet to be reported. Read on to find out which ones.

eBird Global Now Beta-Testing

We're happy to announce that eBird is now officially available for data entry worldwide! In early June we quietly enabled global data entry, and so far we've gathered data on nearly 8000 species from 176 countries! Pull out your notes from past trips abroad and help us beta-test the new data entry functionality. We've also developed a new mapping tool that we call 'eBird Range Maps'. These maps show species' ranges worldwide, and we welcome your feedback on those. We're currently working with new partners to develop better checklists and data quality filters for countries around the world. Send us general feedback on how things are working (email us at ebird@cornell.edu). Are your lists correct? Was the checklist usable? Your comments will help us make things better as we move forward with this monumental task.

Effort-based observations enable powerful data analysis

eBird is a true crossroads between birding and science. As we develop eBird, we're continually walking the line between building better tools that birders want to use, while maintaining our focus on collecting useful scientific data in the process. The truth is, every piece of data submitted to eBird is valuable--from single records of a bird in space and time (Incidental Observations), to complete checklists with associated effort information. But there are differences between the levels of analysis we can perform using the effort-based observations versus incidental observations. As eBirders, we're always interested in how to make the most out of our data, and in this article we'll explore some of the reasons why recording effort can make a big difference when it comes to data analysis.

Make your day to day bird-watching count!

From its inception, the grand hypothesis of eBird has been that the observations of birders can make a valuable contribution to understanding broad-scale patterns of bird distribution and abundance. With its vast geographic scope and dedicated contributors, eBird has a growing capacity to help answer questions about birds at scales never before imaginable. As the eBird dataset continues to mature, scientists are just beginning to explore and tap its potential. Early results are promising, and thanks to our close working relationship with talented computer scientists and biologists, we’ve identified a great way that you can help greatly improve the utility of the eBird dataset.

eBird is For Every Bird-watcher in New Zealand

Occasionally we hear about birders who tried eBird once, but then did not return because they felt they were not qualified to contribute, or that eBird caters only to “expert” birders. This is not the case at all! At eBird we believe that all bird observations have value. You need not be a globetrotting expert—some of the most valuable checklists are repeated observations from people who have never looked for birds outside their own backyard! You need not know every bird that flashes through your binoculars either, the eBird data quality process guards against many potential identification errors. Furthermore, the exchange of information between experts and beginners during this process is a valuable learning tool. We want eBird to be used by birders of all skill levels: our only request is that you try to use eBird to its fullest capacity, report the birds you see and hear to the best of your ability, and err on the conservative side if you are unsure about your identification.

Location, Location, Location!!

Exactly where you plot your bird-watching locations on the map is critical for eBird in many ways. When you are specific with your location information we can perform better analyses, and we can ensure that your bird-watching lists are built correctly. eBird thrives on location specificity, and a good general rule of thumb when entering data is that it's always better to enter shorter checklists from more refined locations than longer checklists from a string of unrelated locations. In this article we'll discuss why being as precise as possible with your bird-watching locations yields the best results.

eBird Express: New Excel tool to simplify data upload

We’re excited to announce a new tool for submitting your checklists to eBird. Jay Packer, one of our industrious eBird users created a tool to help upload checklists from Microsoft Excel--a tool that he’s appropriately named eBird Express. By writing code into an Excel template, Jay provides multiple levels of error-checking that will help you avoid any complications when uploading data to eBird. NOTE: If you are not familiar with Excel, this tool may not help you much. If you do use Excel, this tool helps to allow your bulk uploads to swiftly and easily upload to eBird without a hitch.

The trouble with 'X' - Why you should always estimate numbers!

Over the years at eBird we have always been flexible about allowing users to report either numbers for each species, or to provide an 'X' to indicate presence. In our latest round of analysis, however, we found that checklists where users estimated numbers for ALL species encountered were of significantly higher conservation value when compared with those that contain 'Xs', or even a single 'X' mixed in with numbers. In this piece we'll talk about why recording numbers is important, as well as provide some guidance as to how to estimate numbers in difficult situations. Read more about why making your best estimate of numbers always trumps the dreaded 'X'!

New Feature: eBird Top 100!

We're proud to introduce a new feature at eBird called the "eBird Top 100." Using this new tool found under the "View and Explore Data" tab, you can now see your position in relation to other eBird users in a variety of geographic regions, country, region and county. We offer two different rankings: the total number of species reported, or the total number of complete checklists submitted. Our users have asked for a tool like this so that they can see where they stand in relation to other birders in their region of interest. We hope this new tool will inspire healthy competition among eBirders, and increase the amount of checklists submitted by inspiring birders to get out and collect more new data, as well as promote the entry of historic records. Click on "View and Explore Data" to find out how you rank among the best eBirders in the country!

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.

New Feature--eBird Checklist Sharing!

Are you part of a local OSNZ group that are all (or will become) devoted eBird users? Has it been frustrating that each of you has to enter your joint birdwalks into eBird separately? We are very excited to release eBird Checklist Sharing, which now allows you to copy checklists to another user’s account with the click of a mouse. From now on, when you go birding with friends you can designate who will be keeping the list and that person can enter the eBird list for the group. That checklist can be shared with the group using just an email address or eBird username. And once a checklist has been shared, you can add or delete species observed so that the list represents just what YOU saw. Read on for more information.

2008 Shining Cuckoo Arrival Records

The eBird/ Birding-NZ Shining cuckoo arrival mini-census was a great success with more than 40 people reporting the date they first heard cuckoos in their area.  Although we still don't have any records from Otago its time to tally up the results.

The first record for the spring was a bird heard on the first of Sept by Ian Purden & John Wilson from Waikino between Paeroa and Waihi.

Records came from as far afield as Akaroa and Northland but I'm afraid there is no clear pattern. Cuckoos either fly directly to their home territory (no matter where it is in the country) or they do not call until they get there. A couple of late records in the north of the South Island are a tantallising glimpse into what may be happening.

The mean date of arrival in an area was the 20th Sept. It will take a few more years of data before we will be able to say catagorically whether the date of first arrival is getting earlier. It is possible that the very early birds represent birds that are over-wintering.

The cuckoos are coming!

With the arrival of a few warm days, the daffodils and the beginning of the breeding season of our passerines, it is only a matter of days till the first Shining Cuckoos arrive.

There is so much we don’t know about cuckoos! We know they spend the non-breeding season in the Pacific Islands but we don’t know if, on their return, they all fly into Northland and slowly move down the country or if they fly directly to wherever they spend the summer throughout the country.

Work in the UK and US has given them a good idea of the migratory patterns of their cuckoos but we simply don’t know about ours. The advent of real-time web reporting such as eBird allows us for the first time to get a handle on how cuckoos migrate from the Pacific Islands to NZ. So why not help!

How we Monitor eBird's Data Quality

Did you know that every record submitted to eBird goes through the eBird data verification process? Using a combination of automated data filters and a group of Ornithological Society Of New Zealand experts, eBird tackles the issue of data quality. In order for us to maintain the integrity of the database, and for it to be used fully by the science and conservation community, we as observers must fully understand and strive to reach the highest level of data quality. Therefore, we've developed procedures to facilitate communication between eBird observers and scientists, including some new and improved review tools for our editors. Through our combined effort to maintain high data quality, eBird - NZ will, along with the OSNZ's two Bird Distribution and Abundance Atlases, become one of the most valuable data sets on New Zealands avifauna. Read more about our data verification process....

New Location Management Tools Launched!

When eBird started in the US in 2002 we didn't have the technology to allow you to select a location from a map for data entry (we do now--hooray!).  Because of that it was harder to be aware of existing eBird hotspots, and many users created their own versions of these places.  We've been asked for a long time to rectify this by creating tools that will allow you to merge your personal locations, and all associated data, with existing eBird hotspots.  We've recently upgraded the "Manage My Locations" option found under "My eBird" to allow for this, along with a suite of other useful data management tools.  Now you can easily combine your data from a duplicate personal location with eBird hotspots so that it can be shared by all.

Are you really seeing Grey Ducks?

Some people have commented to us “Why do you query our records of grey duck? The're common aren’t they?” Well unfortunately they are not. Indeed due to introgressive hybridization with Mallards they may well become the next extinct species in New Zealand. We challenge all using eBird to try a useful little key with ducks you suspect may be Grey Ducks to see if they really are. In doing so you will help us understand what is going on with Grey Ducks in New Zealand.

Make Your Bird-watching More Meaningful!

New Zealand eBird is growing rapidly and will quickly become an invaluable tool for conservation in New Zealand.  Your observations are making a huge difference in our understanding of birds at many levels. Scientists will analyze your data to find new patterns in bird distribution, abundance and population trends.  Casual bird observations of rare or unusual species and birds doing unusual things are great for us to understand the distribution of birds in New Zealand and can be incorporated in the annual New Zealand Bird Report. But for an in depth understanding of what is going on in the New Zealand environment, observations with effort are required. For this reason the Ornithological Society of New Zealand would like to promote several bird survey techniques that we consider most valuable in helping us understand population trends. We recommend making the most of your bird-watching by conducting traveling counts, stationary counts and area counts in a more meaningful way.  In this feature we'll give examples of how to make your observations count for bird conservation!

Atlas of Bird Distribution in New Zealand 1999-2004

Welcome to New Zealand eBird!