This month’s eBirder of the Month challenge, sponsored by ZEISS, focuses on the importance of counting birds. The eBirder of the Month will be drawn from eBirders who submit 31 complete checklists during March that include counts for every species reported.
The number of individuals observed is one of the most valuable aspects of your checklists. Reporting accurate counts helps researchers understand not just where birds are, but how many there are as well. This information is essential for tracking changes in bird populations over time! Check out our counting tips here.
Do I have to provide an exact count of every bird? We don’t expect you find and count every single bird around you. However, we do ask that you report your best estimate for every species you see or hear. For some species this may be an exact number. For large flocks, your best estimate might be to the nearest hundred—or thousand! Improve your counting skills with our recommendations for counting large flocks and counting birds at feeders. If you’re not sure which birds to count for your lists, read our best practices.
February’s winner will receive a new ZEISS SFL 8×40 binocular and will be notified by the 10th of the following month. Each month we will feature a new eBird challenge and set of selection criteria. Now is the time to start submitting lists for the 2024 Checklist-a-day Challenge!
ZEISS is a proven leader in sports optics and is the official optics sponsor for eBird. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and support the vital scientific data being collected by dedicated eBirders.” – Richard Moncrief, Birding and Nature Observation Segment Manager at ZEISS