Launched in 2002, eBird is the premiere online storing house for bird sightings. eBird is citizen science at its finest: an easy to use place for individuals to submit bird sightings from all over the world that when put together forms a usable resource for bird conservationists all over. How it works (bare basics) User
Category: Bird Conservation
Citizen Science – Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project
The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera), another bird on Audubon’s WatchList, is threatened by loss of habitat, but is increasing in the northern and northwestern parts of North America. Their decline also correlates with the Blue-winged Warbler’s expansion into the Golden-winged Warbler’s range. This expansion leads to competition and widespread hybridization of the two species. Photo
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Prairie Conservation – Sprague’s Pipit
The Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) is a difficult bird to find and is becoming more so with loss of its native habitat. With the restricted breeding range and its unassuming appearance, the Sprague’s Pipit is poorly known. Photo Used with permission from Steve Collins, Odephoto Sprague’s Pipit passes through Illinois each year, but in small
Citizen Science – Promoting Bird Conservation
February is Citizen Science Month and to help spread the word we’ve created some “badges” in three sizes that you can put on your blog or website. But citizen science wasn’t invented by us. All year long it is important to promote bird conservation through the work of regular people, specifically people who like birds
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Citizen Science – The Key to Bird Conservation
The Birdfreak Team has declared February Citizen Science Month, dedicated to citizen science projects and ideas relating to birds. We’ve said in the past that citizen science is very important to birds and bird studies, but what is citizen science exactly? It is a partnership between the regular “Joes” and the professional scientists, and sometimes
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Deer Run Bird Survey #4
Poor weather has kept us away from continuing our Deer Run Bird Survey (tons of snow and below zero temperatures on our available dates) but we were finally able to do a survey for January. [Read about the Deer Run Bird Survey citizen science project] American Tree Sparrow With the trails covered with 8 inches
American Birding Association – Three Suggested Improvements
As members of the American Birding Association (ABA) we are delighted to receive their wonderful magazine, Birding, 6 times a year. Besides Birding, the ABA also publishes North American Birds, Winging It, and several bird-finding guides. The ABA has also set up the guidelines for “countable†birds in the aptly named ABA Area. There is
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Prairie Plant Profile – Cup Plant
In native prairies few plants compare to the versitality and beauty of the Cup Plant or Cupplant (Silphium perfoliatum). This yellow-flowered plant grows to three to ten feet tall and provides a wonderful resource for birds. The Cupplant provides shelter, food, and the “cups” actually catch and store rainwater that birds can drink from. Cupplant
