How do I eBird?

It's easy to eBird!

Simply keep track of your bird sightings wherever and whenever you can, then log on to the Mass Audubon eBird site. You'll find detailed instructions and helpful tutorials on the site, but here are the basic steps:

1. From the "Submit Your Observations" tab, we'll ask you to tell us where you went birding by choosing a location. If you were at a publicly accessible location, you may be able to find your location in our Sanctuary or Important Bird Area list. Otherwise, you can enter the latitude and longitude directly, find the location on the eBird interactive map, or simply enter your observations at the county or city level. You can store the location you select in your “My Locations” list for easy access during future submissions.

2. Next, we'll ask you how and when you were birding. You'll be able to select an "Observation Type" such as casual observation, stationary count, etc. that most closely matches the type of birding you did. Then fill in the time, distance, or area fields when prompted. We’d also like to know the number of other observers in your party, and if weather affected your ability to record birds.

3. Finally, tell us the species you saw and heard. To report a species, simply enter the number of individuals of each species that you observed. Once you submit your checklist, it will be available for immediate retrieval.

That's all it takes to eBird! Of course, you'll find many different ways to view and analyze your data, and compare it with other birders' observations. There is a wealth of information to explore!