What is eBird?

A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution.

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. It is amassing one of the largest and fastest growing biodiversity data resources in existence. For example, in 2006, participants reported more than 4.3 million bird observations across North America.

The observations of each participant join those of others in an international network of eBird users. eBird then shares these observations with a global community of educators, land managers, ornithologists, and conservation biologists. In time these data will become the foundation for a better understanding of bird distribution across the western hemisphere and beyond.

In 2007, eBird was extended to the Cayman Islands, enabling our own local bird counts, and even backyard observations, to count towards the international bird monitoring effort.

Your observations will join those from thousands of other birdwatchers and enthusiasts, and you will be able to see the results immediately.

Bird observations are monitored by a local panel of experts, established under the Darwin Initiative, here in the Cayman Islands, ensuring the validity of new entries into the database.

Additionally, the personal touch of the “My eBird” feature enables you to keep track of your own observations and checklists, while at the same time sharing your observations throughout the network.

To find out more about eBird, and sign up, Click here.