eBird (https://ebird.org) is a citizen science initiative created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University. Through the website and mobile app, users can create a free account and contribute their bird sightings, including data such as the species, time, date and place. With an eBird account, birdwatchers have a secure place to store their sightings and checklists. Photos and audio can be uploaded as well. Over 30 languages are supported, and there are currently over 830,000 users worldwide. Over 10,000 species have been recorded. Data contributed by users is synthesized into maps of birding hotspots, and combined with remote-sensed habitat data from NASA to create species distribution models. All data is open access so that students and scientists can create their own projects as well. Birdwatchers can use eBird on the web or download the mobile app.

eBird pairs wonderfully with the Merlin bird ID app, also created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Merlin helps birdwatchers identify species by guiding them through five simple questions: Where did you see the bird? (This defaults to the user’s current location.) When did you see the bird? (This defaults to the current day and time.) What size was the bird? (Users can choose from four sizes) What were the main colors on the bird? (Users can select up to three colors from nine choices) and a question about the bird’s behavior (example, was it on the ground, swimming, In a tree, flying, etc.) Merlin then generates a list of possible bird species with photographs to help the user identify which bird he or she saw.

These tools are free to use and make birdwatching fun, easy and collaborative. Happy birdwatching!

Kimberly Reycraft, STEM Librarian Florida Gulf Coast University

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