eBird

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eBird is an on-line database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and the general naturalist with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance across the Western Hemisphere.

Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University and the National Audubon Society, eBird continues to grow and gather rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

eBird’s goal is to maximize the utility and accessibility of the vast numbers of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers. The observations of each participant join those of others in an international network. eBird then shares these observations with a global community of educators, land managers, ornithologists, and conservation biologists.

eBird documents the presence or absence of species, as well as bird abundance through checklist data. A web-interface allows participants to submit their observations or view results via interactive queries into the eBird database. Internet tools maintain personal bird records and enable users to visualize data with interactive maps, graphs, and bar charts. All these features are available in English, Spanish, and French. eBird is a citizen science project.

eBird is a free service. Data are stored in a secure facility and archived daily, and are accessible to anyone via the eBird web site and other applications developed by the global biodiversity information community. For example, eBird data are part of the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN), which integrates observational data on bird populations across the western hemisphere and is a datasource for the digital ornithological reference Birds of North America. In turn, the AKN feeds eBird data to international biodiversity data systems, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). eBird data increases our understanding of the distribution, richness, and uniqueness of the biodiversity of our planet.