Washington eBirders, The following notice from eBird Central is welcome
news, but means a few days of unavailability of eBird services. Two
related items that you should be aware of, that should be resolved in the
next few months after the database work is completed.
1) Northwestern Crow will disappear from eBird when the next taxonomic
revision is completed. It was delayed for the database work, and is
expected to occur fairly early next year. The WBRC has removed it from the
official WA state list, as it is no longer recognized as a distinct
species.
2) One of the higher priority upgrades after the database revision and
taxonomic update is the long awaited, and long overdue, improvements to how
sightings of feral species are handled. eBird Central has announced that
these new capabilities should facilitate eBirders reporting of feral
species, without having them count on their lists. For Washington birders,
this means the ability to report Mute Swans, European Goldfinches, and
other exotics, allowing scientists and resource managers to track them
without "contaminating" your list.
Below is the message from eBird Central.
Bill Tweit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the past year, eBird developers have been hard at work updating our
entire database of tools, resources, and nearly one billion bird
observations. To finish this update, it will be necessary to take our
servers offline for a maintenance period.
eBird will be unavailable starting 8am ET on 17 November until 8am ET on 19
November. Other affected services include: eBird APIs, Birds of the World,
Bird Academy, Merlin Bird ID, and the Macaulay Library. You will also not
be able to access any programs that require logging in with your Cornell
Lab account during the outage.
There should be no noticeable changes to eBird functionality once the
maintenance period is complete. However, this update will allow us to bring
you exciting new features in the near future!
What can I do while eBird is down?
Keep checklists with eBird Mobile. If you download the free eBird Mobile
app before 17 Nov, you can start eBird Mobile checklists during the
downtime and submit them once eBird is back online. Learn how to get eBird
Mobile here.
<
https://support.ebird.org/support/solutions/articles/48000957940#3.-Download-and-install-packs>
Get out and go birding! In addition to the eBirder of the Month challenge
<
https://ebird.org/news/november-ebirder-of-the-month-challenge-2020> for
November, every eligible checklist
<
https://support.ebird.org/support/solutions/articles/48000948757#anchorEoMchallenge>
with
a start time between 8am ET on 17 Nov and 8am ET on 19 Nov gives you a
chance to win a pair of Zeiss Terra binoculars. To enter, use your
preferred method of keeping lists (eBird Mobile, pen & paper, etc.) during
the 48-hour scheduled outage period and submit them when eBird is back
online-;enter the checklists by 25 November for your chance to win.
Watch the Cornell Lab Bird Cams
<
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>
for
live footage of finches in Canada, tanagers in Panama, and albatross in New
Zealand. Check out the video highlights for some special guest appearances!
Watch archived live lectures
<
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/live-events/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>
on everything from Merlin tips and tricks to natural history films, to
BirdCast to mapping migrations with eBird, and much more.
Join us for live events
Birding Live at 8 am ET on 17 November
<
https://www.facebook.com/events/3233184313477224/>. Join birders from
around the world for action packed birding live!
Live eBird Q&A at noon ET on 17 November. Now is the time to ask eBird
staff all of your burning questions. Register now for eBird Live Q&A
<
https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uqLlz6ORRDC1Fu9BSi3SKw>
Live Macaulay Library Q&A at 9 am ET on 18 November. Ask an archivist about
sound recording and archiving your recordings. Register now for Macaulay
Library Live Q&A
<
https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4DMNW5bFT4GF1ats_mgRLQ>
Share your "life without eBird" and #eBirdLife experiences. What are you
doing without eBird for 48 hours? What is your favorite thing about eBird
and the Macaulay Library? Share your experiences on social media with the
hashtag #eBirdLife
Catch up on back issues of Living Bird magazine
<
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/living-bird-magazine-archives/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>-;full
of rich content and compelling stories to help you appreciate birds even
more.
Visit All About Birds
<
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>
for answers to common birding questions plus species accounts,
comparisons, and fun facts for North American birds.
Read all about Project FeederWatch highlights
<
https://feederwatch.org/explore/year-end-reports/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>
Discover how to curate your bird feeders to attract different species with
our common feeder bird tool
<
https://feederwatch.org/learn/common-feeder-birds/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>
.
Stay connected, sign up for our eNewslette
<
https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/enews-signup/?__hstc=60209138.52928570c714c50e46cae7d1145cd0c2.1467990332685.1605420748385.1605466086997.1068&__hssc=60209138.1.1605466086997&__hsfp=1026759523>
r
Bill Tweit
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