Dylan Evans, January eBirder of the Month

Please join us in congratulating Dylan Evans, of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa—winner of the January 2025 eBirder of the Month Challenge, sponsored by ZEISS. Dylan’s name was drawn randomly from the hundreds eBirders who completed the eBird Essentials course and submitted 1 or more eligible checklists in January. Dylan will receive a new ZEISS binocular for his eBirding efforts. Lastly, thank you to everyone who participated in the January eBirder Challenge, we are grateful for your support and continued dedication to data collection and conservation. Here is Dylan’s birding story:

I have enjoyed watching and identifying birds from the time I was a child, as I have been lucky to live in South Africa which has amazing birdlife and beautiful wild natural spaces. My interest in birds was sparked by my grandmother who rehabilitated an injured Black-headed Heron, affectionately called Harry. Harry used to roost every night in her garden and I remember being enthralled when I visited her, as this huge bird with his long pointed bill walked around the garden meters away from me.

In the past I have not been a serious birder but whenever I saw a bird that I did not recognize, I enjoyed the challenge of identifying it. I have kept a running life-list since being a teenager, which has survived various incarnations from scribbled notes on a piece of paper, ticks in a bird guide, and more recently an electronic list on the bird app that I used. Last year this electronic life-list was corrupted while changing phones, which prompted me to search for another way to keep records of the birds I have seen. This is when I discovered eBird.

Initially I thought I would use it to just keep my life-list but it has become a powerful tool that has sparked a more serious interest in birds. I love the way the app enables you to participate and connect with a wider community of people who love birds and want to conserve them. It’s great to feel that you are contributing to scientific research that will be used for conservation efforts. eBird has helped me find new “hotspots” to explore birds and find out which birds are being seen by others near me. eBird has helped to motivate me to explore more places, spend more time in nature, and be more mindful in observing the world around me.