VDGIF and eBird announce partnership between eBird and the Virginia Birding & Wildlife Trail

VDGIF staff hoped to provide users with site specific checklists and a way to record their own observations for a VBWT site. After investigating several methods to provide this functionality, it became apparent that an ideal framework for this task already existed with eBird. 

eBird, a real-time, online checklist program, has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds, their distribution, and sightings. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution. A state specific Virginia eBird portal, sponsored by the Virginia Society of Ornithology and the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, also provides access to local birding information and expertise. eBird provides its users with the ability to explore a variety of data and to record their own observations, adding to a valuable pool of information.

The Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, established in 2002, was the 1st statewide trail of its kind. It identifies the best locations for wildlife viewing within the Commonwealth and connects them through a series of 65 loops. The VBWT provides a valuable trip planning tool for the wildlife viewing enthusiast. Grouping the sites together in loops also provides a discrete entity for the local promotion of sustainable tourism. By helping localities realize the financial benefit of their wildlife habitats the VBWT strives to provide another tool for the preservation and conservation of those habitats. “Discover our Wild Side”, the VBWT guide is an award winning publication that provides detailed maps, directions and descriptions of the 65 loops that comprise the VBWT.  The entire VBWT is also listed site-by-site on the VDGIF website http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/

Given that the VBWT works to identify the premiere wildlife viewing locations throughout the Commonwealth it wasn’t surprising to discover that 98 VBWT sites were already established  as  Hotspots by eBird users. Watchable Wildlife staff coordinated with the Virginia eBird Hotspot coordinator to integrate these sites and update Virginia eBird (and per extension eBird) with the remaining 527 VBWT sites. Prior to the inclusion of the VBWT Virginia had 552 hotspots. The inclusion of the VBWT brings the total number of Virginia Hotspots to over 1,000!

VBWT sites are identified within eBird by both their official VBWT name and the site number (e.g. Hungry Mother State Park - MCM01). Each VBWT site on the VDGIF webpage will have a link directly to the eBird observation bar charts for that site, thus allowing users to see what’s being seen! A link to the Virginia eBird portal will also allow new users to register to enter their own observations for the site. With the linkage between eBird and the VBWT, birders in the Commonwealth will be easily able to identify VBWT trail sites within eBird and enter their sightings.

Many thanks to Gerco Hoogeweg, eBird Volunteer Hotspot Manager for Virginia, for his work in helping to coordinate this effort.

Stephen Living
Watchable Wildlife Biologist
Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries