Date: 2/14/26 12:33 pm From: Edward Vine via groups.io <elvine...> Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] Using eBird to plan a trip
Kurt Radamaker sent this out recently and this may help you:
# eBird Hotspot Species Comparison Tool
## How It Works
**eBird Hotspot Species Comparison** is an interactive mapping tool that
helps birders discover what species they might find at different locations
and identify target birds to look for.
### Getting Started
When you load the page, you'll see:
- A map displaying bird observation hotspots as **green points**
- County centers as **black points** (when enabled)
- A control panel on the top-left with filtering options
### Map Controls
**State Selector**
- Choose any US state, Mexico, or view all US states at once
- The map automatically updates to show hotspots in your selected region
**Hotspot Activity (days)**
- Filter hotspots by recent birding activity (3-30 days)
- Shows only locations that have been visited recently
**Min Hotspot Species Count**
- Filter hotspots by total species diversity
- Choose from 0 (all hotspots) up to 500+ species
- Helps you find the most productive birding locations
**Show Counties Checkbox**
- Toggle county center points on/off
- ⚠️ Note: Loading counties is slow due to the large number of API requests
### Comparing Locations
**The main feature: Click any two points to compare species lists**
1. **Click your first location** (either a green hotspot or black county)
- A red marker appears
2. **Click your second location**
- A blue marker appears
- A popup automatically displays showing:
- Species in Location 1 NOT in Location 2
- Species in Location 2 NOT in Location 1
3. **Understanding the Results**
- Each species name is clickable and links to eBird species pages
- Exotic/introduced species are automatically filtered out
- Results help you plan which location to visit for target birds
### Map Features
**Hover to Preview**
- Hover over any point to see its name and details
- No need to click unless you want to compare
**Home Button**
- Returns you to the main maps page (bottom-right)
**Reset Button**
- Clears all selection markers and reloads the map (bottom-right)
**Basemap Selector**
- Change the map style (streets, satellite, terrain, etc.)
- Bottom-right corner
### Use Cases
- **Trip Planning**: Compare two nearby hotspots to decide where to bird
- **Target Species**: Find which location has birds you need for your
county/state list
- **County vs Hotspot**: Compare an entire county's species list against a
specific hotspot
- **State Comparisons**: See what species are in one state but not another
### Technical Notes
- Data is live from eBird's API
- Hotspot data updates based on recent activity
- County loading uses parallel requests for faster performance (but still
takes time)
- All exotic/introduced species are excluded from comparisons for cleaner
results
**Happy Birding!** 🐦
---
*Copyright - Kurt Radamaker*
On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 2:07 PM chuck schussman via groups.io <cschussman=
<icloud.com...> wrote:
> Hi, I am planning a trip to Omaha, Nebraska. Can eBird be used to identify
> the best places in or around Omaha to find a particular species? I am
> hoping there is another way to do this other than just clicking on all the
> flags on the range map... I am imagining that what I want is some way to
> display a list of all of the sightings of a particular species in a
> particular county, sorted by location and then by date. Is something like
> that possible? How do you all use eBird to plan a birding trip?
>
> Thanks!
> Chuck Schussman
> Tustin, California
>
>
>
>
>
--
Edward Vine
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Building 90R2002
Berkeley, CA 94720-8136
Date: 2/13/26 3:56 pm From: Ken Burton via groups.io <shrikethree...> Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] Using eBird to plan a trip
Tom (et al.),
While I fully agree that there are many valid reasons not to be on Facebook
and that the "Balkanization" you describe is lamentable, the official
description of CALBIRDS is "A forum for the discussion of rare birds found
within California." I think you will agree that Chuck's post does not meet
that criterion. I'm not a CALBIRDS moderator, but I am a subscriber, and I
think opening the group up to posts on how to use eBird is a very slippery
slope.
Ken
On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 3:40 PM T.G. Miko <tgmiko...> wrote:
> Ken,
> I wholeheartedly disagree:
> 1. Lots of people are not on Facebook for various reasons. Some of them
> ideological.
> 2. This is another symptom of the extreme balkanization of bird
> communications on the internet. This burger who lives in another state does
> not have the ability to reach out and join various groups on WhatsApp or
> Discord. The only way you can join those groups is first you have to find
> out what the heck the name of the group is, and then you have to find
> somebody who's willing to let you join the group, and that assumes that
> you're able to find somebody to reach out to and ask them to let you know.
> I can tell you stories of groups one County over that wouldn't let people
> in my County join their group. How do you think they're going to treat
> somebody from another state?
>
> Tom Miko
> Claremont 91711
> 909.241.3300
> "We lose a rifle and get punished. They lose a war and get promoted."--Ben
> Edwards
>
> On Fri, Feb 13, 2026, 3:02 PM Ken Burton via groups.io <shrikethree=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> I think this is a question for the eBird community discussion group on
>> Facebook, not CALBIRDS.
>>
>> Ken Burton
>> McKinleyville
>>
>> On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 2:07 PM chuck schussman via groups.io
>> <cschussman...> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi, I am planning a trip to Omaha, Nebraska. Can eBird be used to
>>> identify the best places in or around Omaha to find a particular species? I
>>> am hoping there is another way to do this other than just clicking on all
>>> the flags on the range map... I am imagining that what I want is some way
>>> to display a list of all of the sightings of a particular species in a
>>> particular county, sorted by location and then by date. Is something like
>>> that possible? How do you all use eBird to plan a birding trip?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> Chuck Schussman
>>> Tustin, California
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
Date: 2/13/26 3:02 pm From: Ken Burton via groups.io <shrikethree...> Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] Using eBird to plan a trip
I think this is a question for the eBird community discussion group on
Facebook, not CALBIRDS.
Ken Burton
McKinleyville
On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 2:07 PM chuck schussman via groups.io <cschussman=
<icloud.com...> wrote:
> Hi, I am planning a trip to Omaha, Nebraska. Can eBird be used to identify
> the best places in or around Omaha to find a particular species? I am
> hoping there is another way to do this other than just clicking on all the
> flags on the range map... I am imagining that what I want is some way to
> display a list of all of the sightings of a particular species in a
> particular county, sorted by location and then by date. Is something like
> that possible? How do you all use eBird to plan a birding trip?
>
> Thanks!
> Chuck Schussman
> Tustin, California
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 2/8/26 11:22 am From: Kurt Radamaker via groups.io <kurtradamaker...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] Species Compare Tool
# eBird Hotspot Species Comparison Tool
## How It Works
**eBird Hotspot Species Comparison** is an interactive mapping tool that helps birders discover what species they might find at different locations and identify target birds to look for.
### Getting Started
When you load the page, you'll see:
- A map displaying bird observation hotspots as **green points**
- County centers as **black points** (when enabled)
- A control panel on the top-left with filtering options
### Map Controls
**State Selector**
- Choose any US state, Mexico, or view all US states at once
- The map automatically updates to show hotspots in your selected region
**Hotspot Activity (days)**
- Filter hotspots by recent birding activity (3-30 days)
- Shows only locations that have been visited recently
**Min Hotspot Species Count**
- Filter hotspots by total species diversity
- Choose from 0 (all hotspots) up to 500+ species
- Helps you find the most productive birding locations
**Show Counties Checkbox**
- Toggle county center points on/off
- ⚠️ Note: Loading counties is slow due to the large number of API requests
### Comparing Locations
**The main feature: Click any two points to compare species lists**
1. **Click your first location** (either a green hotspot or black county)
- A red marker appears
2. **Click your second location**
- A blue marker appears
- A popup automatically displays showing:
- Species in Location 1 NOT in Location 2
- Species in Location 2 NOT in Location 1
3. **Understanding the Results**
- Each species name is clickable and links to eBird species pages
- Exotic/introduced species are automatically filtered out
- Results help you plan which location to visit for target birds
### Map Features
**Hover to Preview**
- Hover over any point to see its name and details
- No need to click unless you want to compare
**Home Button**
- Returns you to the main maps page (bottom-right)
**Reset Button**
- Clears all selection markers and reloads the map (bottom-right)
**Basemap Selector**
- Change the map style (streets, satellite, terrain, etc.)
- Bottom-right corner
### Use Cases
- **Trip Planning**: Compare two nearby hotspots to decide where to bird
- **Target Species**: Find which location has birds you need for your county/state list
- **County vs Hotspot**: Compare an entire county's species list against a specific hotspot
- **State Comparisons**: See what species are in one state but not another
### Technical Notes
- Data is live from eBird's API
- Hotspot data updates based on recent activity
- County loading uses parallel requests for faster performance (but still takes time)
- All exotic/introduced species are excluded from comparisons for cleaner results
**Happy Birding!** 🐦
---
*Copyright - Kurt Radamaker*
There are over 10,000 bird species in the world, all descended from a
common ancestor. Speciation is a continuous process shaped by the
interaction of multiple evolutionary forces. Yet, the implementation of
conservation policies depends on the clear delineation of species and
conservation units. This talk will explore how genomic data—integrated with
morphological and ecological information—can be used to delineate species,
and how we can study their responses to climate change.
This webinar will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel
<https://tinyurl.com/2y6efp3f> and will also be recorded for later viewing.
Please use the YouTube link above (alternatively:
https://tinyurl.com/2y6efp3f) which will take you directly to LAB’s main
page, where the live webinar should be visible once it begins at 7pm.
Become a LAB Member! Though our webinars will always remain free and
available to all, members of Los Angeles Birders have access to live
webinars via Zoom, invitations to special LAB-only field trips, priority
sign-up on LAB field trips & events, and discounts on paid LAB programs. To
learn more about membership, please see our website
<https://www.labirders.org/>!
Looking for a past webinar? Don’t forget that a list of all of our
previously recorded webinars <https://www.labirders.org/webinars.html> is
available on our website – which might come in handy if you want to study
up before a field trip, or if you're looking to build your birding skills
from home! Just scroll all the way down, past our upcoming and most recent
online programs and you'll find a list of webinars sorted by category.
These recordings are all viewable via our YouTube
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHbAhQTFVaeowMCl-sD2e0g> page.
Upcoming Events
2/7 SLO County with Alexander Yan (field trip)
2/10 Conservation units & climate change with Dr. Joan Ferrer Obiol
(webinar)
2/21-2/22 Salton Sea Weekend with Ron Cyger & Chris Dean (field trip) -
FULL!
Date: 2/5/26 9:48 am From: Brian Sullivan via groups.io <heraldpetrel...> Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] California Bird Atlas: First Month Report
Great update, Van! Inspiring!
Brian
On Thu, Feb 5, 2026 at 9:31 AM Van Pierszalowski via groups.io <van=
<californiabirdatlas.org...> wrote:
> Birders,
>
> We’ve been blown away by the early engagement in support of California’s
> first statewide Breeding Bird Atlas. As of this writing, 20,850 Atlas
> checklists have been submitted across 2,864 blocks in 57 counties by 1,491
> contributors. In January alone, 59 species have already received Confirmed
> breeding codes.
>
> For the full report through the end of January, see the latest edition of *Atlas
> Dispatch*
> <https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/news/atlas-dispatch-jan-8-31-2026>,
> which features Atlas firsts, reports from the field, common coding
> pitfalls, and photos.
>
> All eBird users can contribute. If you haven't yet, please join the
> project on eBird's CBA platform <https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/home>.
> For a visual overview of how to get started, watch the Quick Start video
> <https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8Z3kbqiO9rw>.
>
> We’ve also been building a statewide network of Regional Coordinators and
> data reviewers to help oversee the effort. If you’re interested in joining
> the team, reach out to me directly at <van...>
>
> This first-ever statewide Atlas is being coordinated by California Bird
> Atlas <https://www.californiabirdatlas.org/> (CBA), an independent
> nonprofit.
>
> If you’re able, please consider making a donation
> <https://donorbox.org/california-bird-atlas>. Your support directly funds
> the infrastructure and scientific coordination needed to sustain this
> statewide effort. Thank you for helping build it.
>
> Happy Atlasing,
> Van Pierszalowski
> Executive Director, California Bird Atlas (CBA)
> <van...>
> Los Angeles, CA
>
>
>
--
------------------------------
*Brian L. Sullivan*
*Digital Publications LeadCornell Lab of Ornithology*
-------------------------------
Date: 2/5/26 9:31 am From: Van Pierszalowski via groups.io <van...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] California Bird Atlas: First Month Report
Birders,
We’ve been blown away by the early engagement in support of California’s first statewide Breeding Bird Atlas. As of this writing, 20,850 Atlas checklists have been submitted across 2,864 blocks in 57 counties by 1,491 contributors. In January alone, 59 species have already received Confirmed breeding codes.
We’ve also been building a statewide network of Regional Coordinators and data reviewers to help oversee the effort. If you’re interested in joining the team, reach out to me directly at <van...>
This first-ever statewide Atlas is being coordinated by California Bird Atlas ( https://www.californiabirdatlas.org/ ) (CBA), an independent nonprofit.
If you’re able, please consider making a donation ( https://donorbox.org/california-bird-atlas ). Your support directly funds the infrastructure and scientific coordination needed to sustain this statewide effort. Thank you for helping build it.
Happy Atlasing,
Van Pierszalowski
Executive Director, California Bird Atlas (CBA)
<van...>
Los Angeles, CA
