A plea to use eBird and a plea for eBird users

What is eBird?

          eBird is a scientific database of bird observations from every country on the planet.  It was conceived by a team of conservationists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.  From it's beginnings in 2002 as a database mostly of bird sightings in U.S., it has grown to where more than 250,000 birders have entered their cumulative observations of more than 370 million individual birds accounting for 10,313 different bird species around the globe.  With a week left to go in 2016, more than 3.75 million complete checklists were added by birders in this one year.

          The numbers listed above are huge ones, and they have been put to good use for conservation.  Conservationists around the world have used eBird data for decision making, policy analysis, and on-the-ground conservation for bird species.  You can read about the uses of the eBird database just in 2016 here.  Certainly, eBird is impressive as a conservation tool, and it is constantly being improved by a cadre of hard-working, dedicated conservationists at the Lab of Ornithology.

A Love-Hate Relationship

         I have mixed personal feelings about eBird.  I love eBird for its conservation value.  So far in 2016, I have submitted 163 checklists from a single location in the woods near my house.  Each of these checklists was for a 30-minute stationary count.  During these 81.5 hours of observation time, I recorded 67 species.  More important, eBird helps me understand the seasonal occurrence that exists among the diversity of species I observed.  The bar charts below show this seasonality for some flycatchers and vireos, while other species like crows and jays were observed throughout the year at this location.
 

A screenshot of an eBird barchart of some of the 67 species of birds I recorded in my local patch in 2016. 

The inquisitive, information-seeking birder in me loves these data.  They allow me to ask new questions and learn something about the behavior of the birds right in my local patch.

          On the other hand, this same inquisitive, information-seeking birder in me hates the idea that my very personal interactions with birds in nature is used as a measure of how "good of a birder" I am by somebody else's idea that birders use eBird to show off to each other.  eBird now has a profile page for birders (yes, you can hide it if you want) that shows all of your birding statistics.  According to eBird, my life list stands at 827 species recorded in six countries.  Apparently, I reported observing 470 bird species to date in calendar year 2016, including 387 of those in Honduras. 

          Also to date, I have submitted 460 eBird checklists this year, with 70 of those submitted in December with one week left to go in the year.  I also submitted 72 eBird checklists from Honduras during the five weeks I was there in the fall.  I can find maps on my profile page that shows what counties

eBird map showing the 10 Departments (States) in which

I birded during October and November 2016.  Darker colors

indicate more species recorded.  aption

I have birded in a particular state, all color-coded by the number of species I've reported from each. I can find life-lists of birds seen at particular locations.  I can see where I stand in terms of number of species recorded for every location in the world where I have birded.

          There is an explicit assumption on the eBird website that birders use the platform to track their life lists (at all geographic levels), find out where they can go birding to add species to their lists, and that birders use eBird to participate in competitive games surrounding birding.  Undoubtedly, many birders do these things.   But, data from a 2013 scientific study found that the vast majority of eBird users (~79%) neither participate in, nor even enjoy, these competitive aspects of birding.  For most of them, the conservation value of eBird is what motivates their participation.

A Plea for More Birders to use eBird

          As noted above, I use eBird.  I use it a lot.  I use it to satisfy my own birding curiosity, and I especially use it to add conservation value to my sightings.  If you are a birder and don't use eBird, I implore you to start using it.  Birds and bird conservation both can benefit from having more people participate in eBird.  Signing-up for a free account is easy.  You can enter your sightings via smart phone right from the field, or on your laptop in the comfort of your own home like I do.

          It took me a while, but I have entered almost all of the bird sightings I recorded in field notebooks going back to 1965 (I still have 2014 and 2015 to enter).  Also, I still keep my own excel database of my sightings by location (state/provincial level on up) because I have embedded formulas that provide me with information that eBird does not.  Plus, it contains information on plumages (by sex and age of birds observed), behaviors observed and various vocalizations heard.  At 41,047 lines and 400 columns, updating this file each year provides me with more fun than a guy should ever have.  Yes, I am a data geek with all this, but it is a private file that nobody but me ever sees.  Plus, I submit many of my sightings to eBird because I want to contribute to bird conservation that way. 

A Plea for eBird Users to up the Conservation Value of Their Sightings

          My experiences birding in Honduras in October and November really opened my eyes about how visiting birders make decisions about where to go birding and how to eBird.  This is where the competitive, listing game part of eBird gets very much in the way of conservation value of entering sightings.

          First, let's say you go birding some place you don't know very well.  That might be in your home state or in a different country.  eBirders are encouraged to use the website to locate hotspots where you can go birding.  Many of the places I birded in Honduras already were identified as eBird hotspots.  You can use the eBird website to locate hotspots where you can see the most possible species or see a particular set of target species.  That is all great if you want to do that kind of thing.

          Another benefit of birding at, and submitting your observations from, hotspots is that multiple observations from the same location over time provides a long-term data set that is quite valuable for conservation purposes.  So, by all means, find out where the eBird hotspots are, bird there, and record your observations.  Those sightings will be very useful.

          However, please know that the eBird hotspots are identified and labeled as such by birders, not ornithologists or conservationists.  Indeed, most of the hotspots I birded in Honduras were identified as hotspots by the people with whom I birded.  Thus, I found out without any doubt that these areas were selected out of convenience or tradition, rather than for their conservation value.  There is nothing wrong with that, especially for visitors who want to go birding in places where they know what to expect in terms of species diversity and abundance.  All you have to do is check the species list for that hotspot in eBird, or search on particular species and find a hotspot to bird.

         But, my plea to eBird users is to consider habitat when deciding where to go birding as much as going where others have gone before and found a bunch of neat birds.  This is particularly true when you go birding in the tropics, like I did this past fall. 

          I had the pleasure of making several trips to the north coast of Honduras, and birding around the Lodge and Spa at Pico Bonito.  This is in Atlántida Department, shown in darkest red on the map above because I reported the greatest number of species there (243) compared to the other nine Departments from which I submitted eBird lists.  The Lodge and Spa property is adjacent to Pico Bonito National Park. 

Satellite map showing eBird hotspots near Pico Bonito Lodge and Spa in
Atlántida Department, Honduras.  The Lodge and Spa is a great place to stay
and to bird. It is designated as the orange hotspot pin on this map.  Images are
from maps with eBird.

  In the picture to the right, the National Park occurs in the lower right quadrant.  It is steep, mostly primary rain forest, and largely inaccessible except for intrepid hikers who are willing and able to bushwack up steep slopes under less than ideal hiking conditions. 

A closer view of the satellite image above, providing more detail about the habitat at the Lodge and Spa at Pico Bonito (labelled orange pin), at lower elevation along the entrance road (yellow pin near top center), and higher elevation on Lodge and Spa property (white pin near center of image).  Habitat disturbance decreases notably from top to bottom in the image.  The pin in the lower right quadrant is a trail within Pico Bonito National Park which traverses mostly primary rain forest.  Images are from maps within eBird. 

          I was fortunate to go birding at all four eBird hotspots near to and including the lodge area (orange pin on map above).  The hotspot designated with a white pin above the orange pin nearly always was quite birdy.  This hotspot is a transect along the entrance road,   

This is the  planted palm habitat one can find at the top, white pin on eBird

map above.  Pico Bonito National Park is in the background.  This view is

standing at the white pin and essentially looking in the direction of the bottom

of the map above.

and is dominated by disturbed habitats due to various agricultural and forestry practices.  This hotspot was easy to get to and travel along. 

     I've written a lot about the area around the lodge in a previous

blog post.  As you might guess, it also is disturbed habitat although it has substantial forested habitat, too.  There are ample trails near the cabins, reception area, restaurant, and other buildings.  There

Looking from the reception area toward the restaurant at the Lodge and Spa

at Pico Bonito.  Note the abundance of flowering plants maintained

along the walkway to attract birds and other wildlife.  Photo credit

Jody Enck.

are also open lawn areas, a plethora of well-maintained flowering and fruiting plants, and bird feeders containing fruit and other tropical delights. 

          The habitat just upslope from the main compound is less disturbed as you can just make out in the more detailed satellite image above.  Still, it is not primary forest.  It contains well-used and maintained trails, observation platforms, and a water filtration plant.  When standing in the forest here, you can tell that it is not particularly old.  Still, there is a multi-story forest here.  The bird list from this part of the property reflects the change in habitat.  

View from the observation tower above the Rio Corinto.

Photo Credit:  Jody Enck.  

         One starts to pick up more forest species here and observes fewer species that either are obligate open land species or are robust enough to use highly disturbed habitats.  For a first-time visitor to this part of the world, it is heady stuff.  You can see Lovely Cotinga, Common Black-Hawk, Greater Potoo, Purple-crowned Fairy, Collared Aracari, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, and White-collared Manakins along this trail that corresponds to the hotspot.  But, this part of the property still does not reveal the deep-forest birds.

Go where the Wild Things are.

          If you are a birder who really wants to see rainforest species, you have to go into the rainforest proper.  When I birded the rough Tango Trail in Pico Bonito National Park, I got to see species that I saw nowhere else in Honduras because I did not bird in the deep forest anywhere else.  Species like Plain Antvireo, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Nightingale Wren, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, and Golden-crowned Warbler crossed my path in the deep forest and nowhere else.

Big trees, big mountain, and big adventure in Pico Bonito

National Park, Honduras.  Photo Credit: Jody Enck.

          I previously wrote about a morning hiking in the deep, dark forest with my friend and guide Katinka Domen from Beaks and Peaks Birding and Adventure Tours (here).  The main point is that I spent 33 days in Honduras, and only spent a relatively few hours birding in deep forest.  (Luckily, I had time on a couple other days to bird deep in two other National Parks).  Not only is this the only kind of habitat where you can find a whole host of specific bird species, but it is the type of habitat under the gravest threat in Honduras and throughout Central America.             

              If you are going to go birding in a place you don't know very well -- especially if that place is in the tropics -- my plea is for you to bird in under-birded habitats.  Don't just look for hotspots chosen for their convenience, or maybe because you can see a bunch of species there.  Go where the Wild Things are.  Ask the locals to take you to places that others don't bird much, but which will get you looks at birds you simply can't find elsewhere. 

          I'll leave you with one last reason to choose carefully where to go birding and to report birds from habitats that are birded less frequently.  When I went on my hike with Katinka in the deep rainforest, we made another important ornithological discovery.  We saw at least three Fan-tailed Warblers.  These are not particularly rare forest birds, but they had never been recorded from this part of Honduras before we found them.  You never know what you'll find when you go birding in places that are off the beaten path, and in habitats that are not birded very frequently.

How do you find these under-birded places?

          One way to find a place to find habitat-specific birds in places that are not part of existing hot spots is to enlist the help of local birders.  I already mentioned Beaks and Peaks Birding and Adventure Tours.  William Orellana and Katinka Domen are ready and willing to help you out.  Another option is to contact any of the local bird clubs in Honduras.  Each club has several birders who are ready to help visiting birders. 

Here are some clubs for you to contact.

Club Las Tanunas (named for the Lesser Roadrunner) in the western town of Gracias.

Club Hummingbirds, which is a group of high school students associated with Las Tanunas.


Club Cotinga (named for the Lovey Cotinga) in the north coast city of La Ceiba.

Club Clorofonia (named for Blue-crowned Chlorophonia) in the Lake Yojoa area.

Club Los Jigueros (named for the Slate-colored Solitaire) in the southwestern town of Marcala.

Club Los Zorzales (named after Clay-colored Thrush) in the northwestern city of San Pedro Sula.

Club Los Alzacuanes (named for Swainson Hawks) in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

Club Las Aguilas in Catacamas in eastern Honduras.

          All of these clubs are part of a network of sister bird clubs between the U.S. and Honduras.  Beaks and Peaks can put you in touch with any of these clubs.  All you have to do is ask for help.

Throw-back Thursday-- a Story about Discovering the Unexpected in 2015

          I am the kind of birder who likes to discover birds on my own without “chasing” birds others have already found.  Don’t get me wrong – I am all for sharing sightings with others and spreading the joy of birding with others.  But sometimes I just like that feeling that comes from discovering something totally unexpected.  Something like that happened on Sunday February 15^th 2015.

          I was in California for work and had a couple hours to bird around Monterrey before meeting colleagues in the afternoon. 

Surf breaking on the south side of Monterrey Bay, California.

Photo Credit: Jody Enck

From about 7am to 8:30 or so, I had the good fortune to bird with a couple of acquaintances at Point Pinos in Monterrey.  We could see many hundreds of birds in the Bay, along with several Gray Whales not far off-shore.  I enjoyed learning how to identify the relatively dainty Black-vented Shearwaters, the small, loose groups of Common Murres, and the usually-single, darkish, chunky flying footballs that were Rhinoceros Auklets.  We also had fun distinguishing between Double-crested, Pelagic, and Brandt’s Cormorants, as well as a half-dozen species of Gulls.

          At the end of our time together, my friend Brian asked if there were any bird species that I’d really like to see.  I let on that I had never seen a Surfbird.  Quickly looking in my field notebook, I also noted that my next bird would be #500 for the U.S. for me.  Brian smiled that wry smile that a knowing birder smiles and said that we surely could locate a Surfbird just down the rocky shoreline.  Ten minutes later we were enjoying close, long views through a scope of a Surfbird about 30 yards away.  Number 500 in the U.S. left me feeling very happy.  After watching it for a few minutes, Brian and parted ways and I continued exploring for birds.

          Just a few minutes later, I was having fun watching a large

Sanderlings roosting on rocks just offshore from Monterrey,

California.  Photo Credit: Jody Enck.

flock of Sanderlings asleep with heads tucked onto their backs while roosting with dozens of Black-bellied Plovers on a large rock sticking up above the crashing surf.  I had never seen Sanderlings anywhere other than running just ahead of the incoming surf on a sandy beach, so the new experience was thrilling to me.  I was feeling more and more confident in picking out different species, including a few diminutive Mew Gulls from the more common Ring-billed and California Gulls.         

          Suddenly, my scope settled on a bird that I knew I had never

Part of the drawing I made in my field notebook of the mystery bird.

Photo Credit: Jody Enck.  

seen before.  In fact, the sighting left me really perplexed as my brain scrambled to make sense out of this part Surfbird, part Mourning Dove, part who-knows-what bird I was seeing.  In the field, I like to just t carry a field notebook to record my sightings.  So, I drew a picture in my notebook that any kindergartner would be proud of, and took copious notes.  I even managed a diagnostic picture through my scope with a point and shoot camera of this bird standing near a Surfbird and Black-bellied Plover.

Mystery bird on left, Surfbird in center, and Black-bellied Plover on right.  Photo Credit: Jody Enck. 

          My confused brain made sense of it in this way in my field notebook:
   "Medium-small shorebird.  Smaller and slimmer than Surfbird.  Medium dark gray virtually all over on head, neck, back, wings and tail, and on breast and flanks.  Whitish chin.  Longish bill -- 2x as long as Surfbird.  Bill Grayish but darker toward tip.  Yellow legs and feet like Surfbird.  Head all gray, but with dark line from bill through eye.  White above this dark line as well as below eye.  Wings longer than tail.  Folded primaries appear to be darker gray or black tipped.  Belly and vent lighter gray than rest of body."

          It wasn’t until later that night after I met with colleagues for the afternoon work program that I had time to look more closely at my pictures and field notes and study my field guide.  I still remember the surprise on my face – complete with wide open mouth – when I realized that I had discovered a Wandering Tattler

A Wandering Tattler discovered by a wandering birder. 

Photo Credit: Jody Enck.

on my own.  These birds are rare but certainly expected in winter along the California Coast.  How rare or common it was didn’t really matter to me, though.  What mattered was that I discovered a bird on my own that had not even been on my radar screen.  It was completely unexpected and the experience left me feeling like I had just discovered a whole new world.