FAQs from Volunteers:

We’ve been getting lots of questions from our volunteers! If you’ve got a question, chances are someone else has had that question, too. Check out the FAQs below. If you didn’t find the information you were looking for, send us an email at sefsqel@uw.edu.

1. When should I start submitting checklists?

Whenever you’re ready! No day like today. We plan to collect data from April 1st through June 30th.

2. How often should I submit checklists?

We ask that volunteers conduct a ten-minute count one day a week, but you are welcome and encouraged to collect and submit more data if you’d like to!

3. I have a feeder in my yard. Can I still participate?

Yes, absolutely. We will send out a survey later this spring to get more information about your site, including whether or not there is a feeder.

4. I am a beginner birder. Can I participate?

Sure! No time like the present. We love that you want to pick up a new hobby, and we are here to help! We’ve posted resources for beginner birders here.

The most important thing for beginner birders to know is that volunteers should only report species that they are confident they observed. While you are building up your birding skills, you can report groups of birds to eBird (i.e. sparrow species, hummingbird species, etc.) instead of specific species.

5. Can children participate?

Yes! Of course! Birding is fun for the whole family.

6. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to collect data in 2021. Is that going to be a problem?

It is without a doubt most valuable to our research group if you are able to collect data this year *and* next year. However, we understand that some folks can’t guarantee that they’ll be available, or already know that they’ll be moving and unable to monitor their site next spring. That’s okay. If you already know that you won’t want to be involved in data collection AT ALL after stay-at-home orders are lifted, this project may not be the best fit for you. However, we would strongly encourage you to bird for your own enjoyment this spring and submit eBird checklists whenever you want to. That data will still be used by ecologists around the world to answer emerging research questions, just maybe not to study how social distancing is affecting birds.

7. I’m a teacher, and I’d like to have students in my class volunteer this spring while they are learning remotely. However, I can’t guarantee they’ll be able to collect data next year. Is that okay?

Yes! Given that this is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about ecology and community science while they are practicing social distancing, we are happy for students of all ages to sign up to collect data this spring. Please note that we will need all volunteers, including students, to respond to a survey that we will send out later this spring to identify who among our volunteers is a novice birder, master birder, student, etc. in order to account for differences in skill in our models.

8. What is the survey protocol?

WHERE: You get to pick your site! We suggest choosing your backyard or a local green space that you can easily walk to.

Note: You are welcome to observe multiple locations or spots in your yard. However, our protocol requires volunteers to be stationary during surveys. So, if you’d like to survey different sites, even around your yard, you will need to conduct multiple stationary point counts.

WHEN: At least once a week (though more often if you’d like), head to that site and conduct a 10-minute stationary point count. Record all the birds you see or hear during those ten minutes.

PLATFORM: We are collecting data via eBird, a community science app. You can submit checklists on eBird using a web browser or the mobile app. Before you submit your checklist, add the phrase “social distancing survey” to the COMMENT field. Please do not report species that you are not confident you observed. If you are unsure of a species identification, please use broader groups such as “sparrow sp.” or “hummingbird sp.” when possible. If you can’t narrow down the bird to a group, please use “bird sp.”

9. Should I include birds that I hear?

Yes, you should include all the birds you are able to ID by sight or sound during your 10-minute count. As long as you are confident in your ID, record it.

10. What if I saw or heard a bird but couldn’t identify it?

Don’t worry about missing a few birds here and there that you were unable to identify. That happens to the best of us. Just do your best to identify the birds you observe during the count and record all the birds you are confident you recognized. We’ve got folks who are brand new to birding and master birders participating in data collection, so we’ll need to account for different skill sets and experience in our models. If you can narrow down the bird you observed to a group, you can add an unidentified species to your checklist. For example, if you know the bird was a sparrow but you’re not sure which species, you can add “sparrow sp.” And you can always describe the bird you saw but couldn’t identify in your comments. The most important thing is not to assume the species identification of the birds you observe. It’s okay to not know the ID, but don’t just guess. Only record sightings of species you are sure you identified correctly.

eBird relies on a network of volunteers who review checklists for any unusual sightings and ensure data quality. We want to make sure we do our best to identify the birds we observe, both to improve the quality of the data we collect and to reduce the burden on regional reviewers whose job it is to correct our mistakes.

11. Do you want us to bird for exactly ten minutes or at least ten minutes?

We would like you to conduct a 10-minute point count. Studies have shown that the longer birders are out observing, the more likely it is that they will see birds! Ensuring that all our volunteers put in the same amount of time helps us ensure that the effort that went into data collection is the same across the checklists we analyze. If you’d like to bird longer, go for it! Just submit one checklist after a 10-minute count, then start a new checklist and keep collecting data!

12. Is it okay if I change the time of day I conduct my counts?

Yes. If you would like to shift the time of your survey to better align with peak bird activity or because of scheduling conflicts or personal preference, that is just fine. We’ll have to account for time of day in any models we run. We would prefer that you pick a day of the week and time of day to shoot for (e.g. Sunday early mornings, Tuesday late afternoons), but we understand that everyone’s schedules are rapidly changing during COVID-19 and we all need to be flexible. Just do the best you can to be consistent, and our lab will take it from there.

13. How will you know which checklists in the eBird database are for this study?

We will use the comments on checklists to identify those for our study, so be sure to add the phrase “social distancing survey” to the comments section before you press the submit button! If you forget, you can always edit your checklists.

14. Do I have to use eBird?

Yes, we are collecting data exclusively through eBird. With over 700 volunteers, this is the only way we can ensure consistency in data collection and track the hundreds of checklists submitted each week.

15. Can I edit my eBird checklists?

Yes, you can! eBird checklists can be edited in the app or on the web. In the app, go to “Checklists” in the bottom menu, then click on the checklist you want to edit. Next, click “Edit” in the lower righthand corner. Now you will be able to make changes to the species and counts you reported. Once your checklist is good to go, click “Review” to adjust other fields, such as number of observers, and add to the comments section.

Click here for more information on editing checklists. A step-by-step guide for editing checklist locations is available here.

16. I’m having trouble keeping track of how many birds I’m observing. Do you have any advice?

Volunteers should only report multiple individuals of the same species if they are sure they observed more than one individual during their point count. Obviously, this is easiest if we see or hear multiple birds at the same time. However, this doesn’t usually happen. In that case, we use our best judgment to determine the number of individuals observed. So, for example, if a bird calls from super far away and then another bird of the same species suddenly appears in your yard, it’s logical to think that’s most likely a different bird. You can then record 2. If you hear the same call from the same spot over and over, assume that it is coming from the same bird.

If you’re noticing that the birds in your yard fly back and forth from a feeder and it’s difficult to track how many there are, record the maximum number you saw at any one time.

You can also use sex for some species to keep track of the count. For example, male and female House Sparrows and House Finches look quite different. Birds are nesting right now, so you might hear pairs calling to each other, which can also be a helpful clue that there are two individuals on site.

17. I find it tricky to record my sightings in eBird while I am birding. Do you have any advice?

We agree that it can be difficult to enter sightings in the app during a survey and keep track of birds at the same time. Sometimes when there are a lot of birds at a site we’re monitoring, we keep the app open to record our time and location and then write down the birds we observe using pen and paper and edit the checklists to include our observations after we submit them. It’s not ideal, but that way we feel more confident that the list we’re submitting is complete. We also recommend setting an alarm for the duration of the survey so you don’t have to look at your phone to keep track of the time.

18. I missed a week. Is that okay?

We understand that you might not be able to get to your site every week. Things happen. We just ask that all our volunteers do their best to be consistent. We’ll still use the data you collect in our research, even if you’re unable to conduct your weekly survey each week without fail.

19. My friends who live outside of the Pacific Northwest are jealous that I’m part of such a cool project. Can they sign up too?

Our team is focused on collecting data in the PNW. However, we want to assure you that ecologists across the country use eBird checklists for myriad studies, and we may pull data from checklists submitted outside of the PNW for our study, too, so we encourage all bird enthusiasts to submit checklists regardless of whether or not they’re a volunteer with this project specifically!