This month’s eBirder of the Month challenge, sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, encourages precise eBirding through eBird Mobile. On iOS and Android, the free eBird Mobile app allows you to create a map for your checklist using the device’s GPS—providing unprecedented detail in your eBird checklists on where exactly you went birding. You can just focus on birding, and let the app do the work! The eBirder of the Month will be drawn from eBirders who submit 20 or more eligible checklists with eBird Mobile ‘tracks’ less than 5km (3mi) in September. Checklists must be for observations during this month; not historical checklists entered during September. Winners will be notified by the 10th of the following month.
If you haven’t tried eBird Mobile, there’s no better time than now. The mobile app makes eBirding easier, faster, and more accurate than using pen and paper, even when you don’t have a cellular connection. eBird Mobile has unique My eBird stats, easy Quick Entry shortcuts, and GPS tracks that make eBirding even easier than before. 70% of all eBird data are entered on mobile now, and that number grows with each passing month. Get started with eBird Mobile here.
The eBird Mobile GPS tracks are especially exciting, opening the doors to new functionality for birders and research on bird populations. Imagine going to a hotspot and being able to see an overlay of where eBirders have been in the past—a way to understand how to bird the location as well as what’s present. Or imagine getting list of likely birds not just for a location, but for a specific habitat. These tools and much more will become possible future directions as more eBirders use eBird Mobile.
Each month we will feature a new eBird challenge and a set of selection criteria. The monthly winners will each receive a new ZEISS Conquest HD 8×42 binocular. Don’t forget about the 2019 Checklist-a-day Challenge. Can you submit 365 eligible checklists this year?
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics 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 Carl Zeiss SBE