This month’s eBirder of the Month challenge, sponsored by ZEISS, highlights the value of splitting your day of birding into multiple lists. Whenever you are birding, it is important to create new checklists for each habitat you visit, after 3 hours in one location, or after covering five miles. Keeping separate lists for each distinct place you visit makes a big difference in how your sightings can be valuable for fellow birders, researchers, and for your own memories in the future.
The eBirder of the Month will be drawn from eBirders who submit 3 or more eligible checklists in a single day in August. Each day that you submit 3 or more eligible checklists gives you one chance to win. That’s up to 31 chances to win!
You may be wondering when to stop a checklist and start a new one. A good rule of thumb if you’re driving between birding locations is to start your checklist when you get out of the car and stop the list when you get back in. Even if you’re just stopping at each place for a few minutes, these shorter lists are incredibly impactful! In general, the more precise the list (shorter distance and duration), the more valuable the information. You can learn more about best practices and how to make your eBirding easier through our eBird Essentials course.
August’s winner will receive a new ZEISS SFL 8×40 binocular and will be notified by the 10th of the following month.
Each month we will feature a new eBird challenge and set of selection criteria. And don’t forget to submit lists for the 2024 Checklist-a-day Challenge!
ZEISS is a proven leader in sports optics and is the official optics sponsor for eBird. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and support the vital scientific data being collected by dedicated eBirders.” – Richard Moncrief, Birding and Nature Observation Segment Manager at ZEISS
