Spring has sprung in Wisconsin!

The early snowmelt and record-breaking temperatures have caused many early migrants to pour into the state. A few species (Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Franklin’s Gull) have been reported as record early and many waterbirds (especially ducks, geese, cranes, and Killdeer) and landbirds (especially Song Sparrows, blackbirds, and meadowlarks) are several days to a couple weeks earlier than normal.

Why are a lot of common species in eBird flagging?

You may be wondering why your Song Sparrow, American Woodcock, or Blue-winged Teal is flagging right now since they are common birds that have returned in numbers. High counts of common species (especially waterfowl) are also flagging consistently right now. Remember that the eBird filters are set for AVERAGE years and do not account for the very early phenology. Most years that marsh that is hosting a nice diversity of ducks right now would still have a foot of ice on it! Although eBird filters can be changed, it isn’t practical to change a filter every year in response to the weather. As the days go by, fewer of these species will flag.

What does this mean for eBirding?

Until then, be assured that the Wisconsin eBird reviewers are aware that these species are back in force, therefore the standard for accepting those flagged records will be low. However, leaving some kind of BRIEF COMMENT will help your reviewer (and you) know that the observation isn’t a typo. This takes very little time when entering your checklist and is much more informative than omitting comments.

E.g.: “Male BWTE seen well with other waterfowl. Purple head, crescent-shaped spot on face, and mainly brown body. Typical spot and ice is off”

What does this mean for atlasing?

Great question! It isn’t just the migrants, a lot of our resident species have begun to sing, pair up, and defend territories earlier than normal too. Some of the migrants that have arrived are already showing breeding behavior on their likely territories as well. Don’t be afraid to enter codes for things right now because behavior definitely is occurring, but make sure you think it through. The most helpful tips for atlasing during this transition period are:

• Evaluate the behavior and habitat

Pick up on signals from the bird to help tell if it is just migrating or if it will stay. Is it singing almost nonstop from a very small area? Is it actively chasing members of its own species in conflicts that don’t involve food? Is there a sign of pairing?

E.g.: A Red-winged Blackbird singing from a cattail marsh (code as S) vs. a Red-winged Blackbird singing in a yard with a bird feeder (don’t code). 

• Is it a species that typically migrates or is it a resident?

If you know the background of a species, that can help. Is it a species that stays in basically the same place all year or a bird that becomes much more common in spring? It is safer to assign codes to resident species right now because we know they probably are not moving around. However, even birds we think of as residents can have larger home ranges during the non-breeding season so it’s still useful to wait until they are showing breeding behaviors before coding them.

Although some migrants are back on territory, it is more likely that those species are still moving in your area to an extent. Remember, some birds we think of as residents are actually short-distance migrants (like Blue Jays and Red-tailed Hawks). If you don’t know if a species is a resident or not, that’s OK, the other tips should help.

E.g.: Pair of Northern Cardinals (code as P) vs. an apparent pair of Blue Jays (don’t code)

• Will you return to the location?

This is a helpful tip to keep in mind too. If you will return to the location and you aren’t sure if you should code something, you might as well wait until you return later when birds are showing more definitive breeding behavior. Your subsequent visit will likely answer your question. No need to rush a possible or probable code—it’s only March! However, if you doubt you’ll be back to the location, it may be worth entering a code with supporting comments if you’re on the fence, in case you or nobody else returns. Remember, you can easily fix it later if you decide against it.

E.g.: The pair of American Kestrels on your way to work (don’t code yet) vs. a pair of American Kestrels in a spot across the state that isn’t frequently covered by birders (code as H or P).

• Consult the WBBA II Breeding Guideline Bar Chart

When in doubt, always remember to consult this chart. However, remember that this is based on averages and even if your observations are early, they still may deserve a code. Be more careful about something that is a month or so before the “E” or “B” on the chart than something that is a week or two early. Always go with your field observations over the chart, especially for probable or confirmed codes.

• Leave comments!!

We say this in almost every eBird article in some way, shape, or form, and here it is again: leave comments when you aren’t sure of something! Comments are incredibly helpful to the local eBird reviewer, the atlas team, or your county coordinator as they review data months later and it will help you remember the situation if you choose to reevaluate some of your early season atlas codes at the end of the season. Even brief comments during questionable situations go a long ways so it is certainly worth the extra seconds of typing.

E.g.: “Although it’s early on the bar chart, I coded these Mallards to P because they were clearly interacting as a pair and in perfect habitat and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to revisit so this is a placeholder until then” 

• Don’t be intimidated, atlasing is a learning process for everyone

If you still aren’t sure about a record after consulting these tips, make the decision you are most comfortable with and provide some comments. Some of these situations are rather complicated and since we have only been atlasing for a year, we are all relatively inexperienced. Don’t be intimidated by these situations because they’re happening to everyone and this is how we learn. If you mess up by coding something that shouldn’t be coded or if you need to add a code later, it can easily be changed!

• Help is here if you want it!

If you feel intimidated or have a specific case that you just can’t seem to decide on, feel free to ask for help! There are many venues including posting in the Facebook Breeding Bird Atlas Photos & Discussion group, emailing the atlas team, emailing your county coordinator, consulting the WBBA II handbook, or simply asking a birding friend. Birds of North America is an excellent reference that describes non-breeding and breeding behavior in detail for each species.

Get out there, enjoy the spring weather, and eBird!

It is very important to have eBird and atlas data for years like this to compare to normal years and possibly establish trends. So, no matter where you go birding or how much you bird, submit those spring observations to eBird and Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II! Have fun!

All pictures by Tom Prestby