Subject: [Tweeters] New wiki site for regional bird information
Date: Jan 3 07:34:43 2006
From: Tim Whitehouse - tim at wikiguide.info


I've set up a wiki site for general and regional bird information at
http://bird.wikiguide.info. Anyone is invited to contribute species
information, images, articles, or set up a birding guide to their
favorite area. It is non-commercial and is based on the same free
license and wiki software used by Wikipedia, the huge online
encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org. It has two main areas: species
accounts, and regional guides to birding.

A regional birding guide might contain information for the area such as
local hotspots, maps, recent sightings, lists of species with links to
the species accounts, and just about anything else useful for
birdwatching. For an example see the guide for the Rio Grande Valley in
Texas at
http://bird.wikiguide.info/index.php/Rio_Grande_Valley_birding_guide.

A field guide for birds in your chosen region can be created by
including the shared species information in your species accounts. Your
regional species page can then add local information, such as regional
distribution and places to find the species. When the general
information, such as field marks or vocalizations, which is shared by
all regional field guides, is updated then your species account will
automatically be updated with that information.

For an example see the Tamaulipas Crow for the Rio Grande Valley at
http://bird.wikiguide.info/index.php/Tamaulipas_Crow_%28us-RGV%29 and
the general Tamaulipas Crow page at
http://bird.wikiguide.info/index.php/Tamaulipas_Crow. An index is
automatically maintained for each region by putting each page in a category.

The site is very new so there is plenty of opportunity to contribute and
help mold it so it will be useful to the birding community. Feel free
to browse or make contributions by editing. I'll be more than glad to
help anyone set up a regional guide for a state, county or other region.
Please reply with any questions or suggestions to mailto:
tim at wikiguide.info.

Tim Whitehouse
Edinburg, TX