Birding News and Features

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.

Taxonomic update -- June 2010

Many of you may have noticed a pleasant surprise recently if you bird in the Neotropics: your eBird Life List probably increased!! This was due to a number of taxonomic splits that took place in our June 2010 taxonomic update. Species names like Trinidad Motmot, Gartered Trogon, Chestnut-winged Cinclodes, and even Barolo Shearwater are now appearing on birders' lists and the eBird View and Explore Data pages. With this update, a number of species have been split, some names have changed, and the order has shifted around as bird relationships have been clarified. Just two species have been lumped. However, the biggest change is that eBird has now formally adopted the Clements taxonomy as our official source of bird names (the Clements taxonomy complies with the AOU whenever possible). This has allowed us to expand globally and it is now possible to enter any species in the world in eBird! Read on for more about this major taxonomic update and its implications for your lists.

eBird Tip--Use the "Jump to Species" box for faster data entry

As eBird goes global, using the "Jump to Species" box for faster data entry will become more important. In many parts of the world we have rudimentary checklists in place, unlike the refined ones that exist across most of North America. These basic checklists will have many species, in some cases more than 1,000! In these cases it's a lot easier to run through your species list using the "Jump to Species" box on the checklist page. A list of 50 birds can be entered in just a few minutes! The "Jump to species" box is also handy if you write field notes and your species lists are not in alphabetical or taxonomic order. By using this feature you can enter a list of birds without having to click the mouse more than once! Learn how by reading more.

Global eBird almost there! -- 3 June update

Take part in the eBird Site Survey this summer!

The concept of the eBird Site Survey is simple: pick your favorite birding location and count birds there once a week, several times per week, or every day. This kind of repeated sampling at the same location tells us a lot about the ebb and flow of bird activity in your area, and can be some of the most valuable data collected in eBird. Your site could be your backyard, or your favorite park, beach, or local birding location. Summer is a great time to get started with this initiative. Birds are breeding, your yard is bustling with activity, and many birds are undertaking little-known local movements to molt before migration. With more than 800 sites already registered by fellow eBirders, you're helping us collect important data on birds every day of the year. Read more about the Site Survey and then register your favorite place to count birds.