Checklist Data

Overview

In a checklist survey, an observer simply records the birds they see or hear during their time in the field, typically by tallying or marking them on a list of expected species. Compared to point counts, checklist surveys may be significantly less formal, with no fixed location or duration. The observer typically (but not always) moves during the survey, and may or may not record all species they are able to observe.

Types of Checklist Data

Checklist protocols vary widely, and may include informal efforts such as “general birding”, or more formalized methodologies like area searches, censuses, or transect surveys. When using checklist data, it is important to reference metadata or other project information to understand the protocol with which the data were collected.

Checklist surveys are used by a wide variety of projects, including breeding bird atlases, eBird, bird observatories, and many others.

How and Where to Access These Data

eBird

eBird is a worldwide database of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Birders enter and track their bird sightings during their outing by filling out a checklist using a user-friendly mobile app. Data on eBird can be useful to many people. In particular, they allow other ornithologists to learn about the birds in a specific area, researchers and conservation specialists to follow population trends, and educators to introduce their students to birds and the scientific process.

NatureCounts

The NatureCounts platform hosts checklist data from numerous monitoring programs, including breeding bird atlases, bird observatories, and a variety of regional initiatives. Many of these data are collected using the NatureCounts mobile app or web interface, which support data entry for dozens of projects. Additional checklist data from partners like eBird and Audubon Christmas Bird Counts are regularly imported to NatureCounts

Avibase

Avibase is an online database that organizes bird taxonomic and distribution data globally. This website offers checklists for over 20,000 geographic regions of the world, species pages with taxonomic information and synonyms, and tools for observers to maintain their own sightings and obtain reports (e.g., maps showing countries or eBird hotspots with the number of target species that are missing from one of their life list).