eBird

Name: eBird
Author: Cornell University

Cornell University

EVALUATED

Assessed for usability and quality

For:Researchers & AcademicsGeneral Public & Enthusiasts

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App Summary

eBird is a global citizen science project that enables birdwatchers to record and submit observations, contributing to a massive, open-access database for scientific research and conservation. The associated research highlights a design that combines simple data entry with rigorous quality control, including automated filters, expert review, and statistical models that account for observer effort and bias to ensure data reliability. The authors conclude that this approach successfully generates high-volume, high-quality ecological data that increases knowledge of species dynamics and has a direct impact on conservation.

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Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the eBird system facilitates the field-based submission of avian observations to a global database. The mobile interface leverages GPS for precise location plotting and generates customized checklists of probable species based on historical spatiotemporal data. Sessions involve the creation of these checklists, with functionality for incremental, offline data entry. The platform integrates automated data filters and a network of expert reviewers to maintain scientific integrity upon submission.

Evidence & Research Context

The system has aggregated a database of over 140 million observations from a global network, serving as a primary source of biodiversity data for scientific and conservation applications.
Data quality is maintained through a multi-tiered process that combines automated data filters with manual review of unusual records by a network of over 450 regional experts.
A methodological case study demonstrated that the scientific reliability of eBird data is significantly improved when analyses utilize "complete checklists" and include statistical covariates for observation effort.
The project is described in associated research as an integrated enterprise that leverages expertise from ecology, statistics, and computer science to quantify and control for observer variability and collection bias.

Intended Use & Scope

This system is designed for citizen scientists, researchers, and conservation professionals for the large-scale collection of avian distribution and abundance data. Its primary utility is as a research database, not as a standalone bird identification guide. The scientific application of its data requires appropriate statistical methods to control for inherent observer and effort biases.

Studies & Publications

4 publications

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Evaluation Study

Best practices for making reliable inferences from citizen science data: case study using eBird to estimate species distributions

Kelling et al. (2019) · bioRxiv

Data refinement methods improved the accuracy of species distribution estimates from citizen science observations.

Citizen science data are valuable for addressing a wide range of ecological research questions, and there has been a rapid increase in the scope and volume of data available. However, data from large-scale citizen science projects typically present a number of challenges that can inhibit robust ecological inferences. These challenges include: species bias, spatial bias, and variation in effort.To demonstrate addressing key challenges in

Non-Evaluative Reference

eBird: Curating Citizen Science Data for Use by Diverse Communities

Lagoze et al. (2014) · International Journal of Digital Curation

Referenced in academic literature; no direct evaluation of the app

In this paper we describe eBird, a highly successful citizen science project. With over 150,000 participants worldwide and an accumulation of over 140,000,000 bird observations globally in the last decade, eBird has evolved into a major tool for scientific investigations in diverse fields such as ornithology, computer science, statistics, ecology and climate change. eBird's impact in scientific research is grounded in careful data curation

In the Media

Lab of Ornithology hits 2 billion bird sightings, 3 million recordings

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology developed eBird as a participatory-science platform to gather global bird observation data for research and conservation, allowing anyone worldwide to submit bird sightings and sounds. The program recently hit major milestones with 2 billion bird sightings and 3 million sound recordings, amassing more than 150 million checklists from over 1 million users since launching in 2002. "In the early days, we had aspirations for being able to use eBird as a platform that would be able to gather a lot of data, but we didn't really have any idea how we were going to do it," said Christopher Wood, eBird program director.

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News Room

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology developed eBird to support targeted conservation efforts across North America, using millions of bird sightings from citizen scientists. A new study demonstrates how eBird data align with results from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, with differences by species and region underscoring the importance of using multiple data sources.

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"Think globally, act locally" with new bird conservation tool

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology developed eBird Trends to tackle declining bird populations worldwide, using the most expansive visualizations ever produced to show bird population trends within an 8-mile radius for 586 species. "You can't solve what you can't see," said Daniel Fink, senior research associate at the Cornell Lab, noting that "we've never been able to see population change with this level of detail across continental extents for so many species." The tool combines raw eBird reports with satellite data and statistical models to create interactive maps showing localized population trends from 2007 through 2021.

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Partnership boosts worldwide bird conservation

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology partnered with BirdLife International to monitor global bird populations using eBird's massive citizen science database, integrating data from over 13,000 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas across more than 100 countries. "The partnership connects eBird's database of 1.25 billion bird sightings with BirdLife's hundreds of conservation partner organizations that are changing the world through their local conservation efforts," said eBird coordinator Ian Davies. The collaboration leverages eBird's 800,000 citizen scientists to provide real-time monitoring data that helps identify new conservation sites and track population trends for threatened species.

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Cornell's eBird releases hundreds of animated maps

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird program released 500 animated maps showing bird occupation and movement across the western hemisphere, merging millions of observations from bird watchers with NASA satellite images. "This type of spatial and temporal information helps guide more flexible conservation solutions that can more readily accommodate human and ecological needs," said Amanda Rodewald, the Garvin Professor and co-director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab. The maps are publicly available for researchers, educators and conservationists.

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