The Cornell Lab of Ornithology builds the eBird global platform for communities and partners around the world to advance data-driven science, education, and conservation.
Are you a Principal Atlaser or another experienced birder looking to contribute even more the PBA3? Please consider conducting point counts for the Atlas!
A point count is a standardized survey in which a birder remains in a stationary location for a defined period of time (in our protocol, six minutes) and records all birds identified by sight and sound.
Point counts should be conducted by experienced birders who can identify birds of PA by sight AND sound. (Typically, most observations collected during a point count come from hearing birds.) If you aren’t sure if you have the necessary experience, try building your identification skills for another year first. There will be plenty of remaining point counts next year!
Each point should be surveyed ONE time between 2024 and 2028, during the designated survey period.
If you are interested in conducting volunteer point counts, contact your County Coordinator with your request. If your county is already well-covered, reach out to coordinators in other areas where there are likely still surveys to complete. Only conduct point counts once the coordinator has confirmed that you’ve been assigned the points, AND be sure to confirm with the coordinator once you’ve completed your assigned points!
