Miles Brengle, August eBirder of the Month
Please join us in congratulating Miles Brengle, of Ipswich, Massachusetts—winner of the August 2024 eBirder of the Month Challenge, sponsored by ZEISS. Miles’s name was drawn randomly from the 77,790 eBirders who submitted 3 or more eligible checklists in a single day in August. Miles will receive a new ZEISS SFL binocular for his eBirding efforts. In addition to being a dedicated eBirder and challenge winner, Miles is a Hotspot Editor for Massachusetts. In this role, he ensures that hotspots are accurately named and plotted, devoid of duplicates, and do not inadvertently lead birders onto private property. Managing hotspots for a region is vital for the platform to function properly for all eBirders. The eBird team is grateful to Miles, and the thousands of hotspot editors and reviewers around the world whose dedicated volunteer efforts support the global eBirding community. Lastly, thank you to everyone who participated in the August eBirder Challenge, we are grateful for your support and continued dedication to data collection and conservation. Here’s Miles’s birding story:
Along with a good mentor and a tight-knit birding community, I owe much credit to eBird for providing me with the tools to study and appreciate the birds around me for nearly my entire life. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my birding story here, and I hope it can provide insight into how participatory science projects, like eBird, can serve as a launchpad for amateur naturalists hoping to explore avenues related to community outreach, scientific research and natural history.
Sanderling, Calidris alba © Miles Brengle / Macaulay Library
I was binocular-clad by an early age and began to keep a life list in elementary school, along with written observations and sketches, in my Kids Bird Log—a fantastic resource which I highly recommend to any budding birder looking to build a solid framework of observational skills. I feel lucky to have had some ‘eBirdless’ years growing up. Learning the common birds, their behaviors and their songs and calls, and most importantly, experiencing the simple pleasure of observing birds with no obligation whatsoever—simply birding—provided me with the skillset to partake in a more impactful and enjoyable eBirding experience.
An eBird junkie since age 11, I was introduced to the data side of birding early on. Local historical records in eBird chronicling huge winter invasions of Evening Grosbeaks, breeding Upland Sandpipers, and drumming Ruffed Grouse—common occurrences before my time but far more rare today—informed me of the declines occurring in populations of common birds. eBird data heightened my awareness of these declines and increasingly motivated me to become involved in research aiding the conservation of at-risk species.
American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla © Miles Brengle / Macaulay Library
Seasonal work alongside biologists and graduate students studying declining and endangered bird species has given me an inside look at a number of on-the-ground conservation projects. Long-distance migratory shorebirds are my favorites to study, in large part due to their impressive life histories, but also due to their ability to connect people across borders from different walks of life. Conversations with collaborators along these migratory pathways have provided me with lessons and perspectives that I would have otherwise never gained had I taken a different path. I can point towards eBird for its help in fostering an interest that would keep me on track to learn more about the world around me.
Black Skimmer (cinerascens), Rynchops niger cinerascens © Miles Brengle / Macaulay Library
My long-term goals have shifted in size and shape over time but remain constant in their focus on migratory bird conservation, research and community engagement. Whether the study of birds remains my occupation or returns to a vocation, I hope to use a research- and outreach-orientated approach to teach people about what we can learn when we pay attention to birds.