A reader of this column recently contacted me asking where she could acquire more and constantly updated information on the birds of the Sunshine Coast. There is a local community of birders with varying degrees of energy, commitment and expertise but less than 10 of these are highly committed and keep regular records that can be accessed by other birders. And, of course, all of our knowledge of the birds around us is based on good record keeping.
In this digital age the new frontier is e-Bird, “a real-time, online checklist program that has revolutionized the way the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, e-Bird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. E-Bird’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 May 2015, participants reported more than 9.5 million bird observations across the world!”
I recommend taking a look at ebird.org under Explore Data. Here you can find all the latest bird sightings in our area. E-Bird has many applications and you can use it passively or submit your own data. Give it a try! Incidentally there are sister sites such as e-Flora, e-Fauna, e-Butterfly, etc. for all your other interests.
Prior to the advent of e-Bird the preferred online resource was the website beta.groups.yahoo.com (search Sunshine Coast Birding). This is a Yahoo site that you must subscribe to for access. It still functions at a reduced user level but is very useful for alerting other birders to significant sightings, posting photos, asking questions, announcements, etc. Check it out.
The Sunshine Coast Natural History Society is the local organization that is the umbrella for all natural history pursuits including birds, botany, dragonflies, geology, etc. The society holds a monthly meeting (first Friday of the month) with first-rate speakers and also monthly birding field trips.
And there is this column. To report your sightings or questions, contact Tony at 604-885-5539 or [email protected]
