Looking to find out how you can participate in the PA Bird Atlas? Follow these steps.
1. Sign up for eBird
eBird is one of the largest community science-based projects in the world. Birders who submit their birding checklists through eBird are providing data that can be used in bird research and conservation decisions all over the world. If you don’t already have an eBird account or aren’t familiar:
- Learn more about eBird
- Sign up for an account
- Take the eBird Essentials Course, or check out their rules and best practices
- Learn how to log bird behaviors
2. Submit data via the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas portal in eBird
Anyone participating in the Atlas must submit their data through the Atlas portal! A portal is simply a subset of the entire eBird database that supports a specific project, in this case our Atlas. Records entered into eBird via a portal also enter into core eBird, so all your observations and checklists for the Atlas will also appear on the main eBird website! However, using the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas portal:
- Allows us to organize, visualize, and use data more quickly and easily.
- Indicates that you understand the Atlas concepts, including the use of breeding codes and block boundaries.
You can submit data to the Atlas portal in two ways: via the eBird app on your mobile device or via a web browser.
Mobile Device
Using the eBird app while birding is the most convenient way to collect data for the Atlas, because the app handily records some information for you, including the date, time, and where and how long you bird for. After you’ve created an eBird account and installed the eBird app, you must switch to the Atlas portal in the app. Follow the steps illustrated below to switch to the Atlas portal on an Android or iOS device.
Note: Once you have switched to the Atlas portal, you may remain in it as long as you are birding within Pennsylvania and following Atlas protocols.
Android
iOS
Web Browser
To enter the portal via a computer, simply go to ebird.org/atlaspa/submit. If you are submitting your Atlas checklists via web browser, you need to go to this website every time. Do not enter Atlas checklists via ebird.org.
Other Tips
Changing the Portal After a Checklist Has Been Submitted
Did you accidentally forget to set eBird to the Atlas portal? Or accidentally submit a checklist to the PA Atlas portal while on spring break in Florida? It’s easy to fix!
Go to ebird.org/mychecklists, click on the checklist you need to change, select ‘Checklist Tools,’ and use the ‘Change portal’ option to find the correct portal for your checklist.
Remove a Single Checklist from the PA Bird Atlas Portal
eBird offers a convenient option for removing an individual checklist from the Atlas portal while you are submitting via your mobile device, rather than having to change out of the portal entirely. When you are about to submit the checklist, tap the portal line near the top of the screen and select eBird or another portal from the menu that opens. You may choose to remove an individual checklist from the Atlas portal if you did not observe any breeding behaviors, if you have ventured outside of Pennsylvania, or if you have not been following Atlas protocols.
