Build your team

Check with the team members from last year. If you need additional members, we can help fill your team. Volunteers should be birders with some experience and skill at identification. You must have someone skilled at birding by ear, and at least one person who is comfortable submitting your lists using eBird.

Teams are assigned a sector of the 15 mile diameter circle. There will likely be one or two main locations in your sector that the team has birded in the past. We need those locations covered, but you are free to cover the rest of your sector as you see fit. National Audubon asks each team to spend about 8 hours in the field. Scouting your sector ahead of time will help you plan to cover additional locations while making the best use of your time. Look for varied habitat. Roadside ponds, farm fields, parks, even gas stations can be great hotspots. 

If you scout during the 3 days before the actual count, any birds you see those days but miss on the count day, can be included as a "count week" bird. So make sure to submit eBird checklists as you scout. (Count week birds are counted 3 days before and 3 days after our count day. If you submit checklists within our circle any of these 6 days. Let the compiler know to add you to the count week trip report, so your data can be included.)

Send your meeting time and location to your team members. Remind them to pack a lunch and bring plenty of water. 

All counts will be submitted thru eBird and compiled using trip reports. Follow this tutorial to create your report prior to the count date and send the link to the compiler. (Use the following format when naming your report: 

CBC - West Marion - (section name) YEAR. 

Example for Oak Run team: 

CBC - West Marion - Oak Run 2022. 

We will be working with two trip reports.

#1.  The one you create for your team.

#2.  The one created by the compiler which will include every team. You only need to join this one.

Make sure that you have read and fully understand the eBirding protocol listed in the section for "All Volunteers" including how to report checklist mileage.

Florida Audubon has provided a list of birds that will need additional documentation (and preferably photos) in order to be accepted. eBird will immediately flag rare birds with a box on your checklist. When that happens, whomever sees the bird best will need to complete this form and email it to the compiler by the end of the count day.

Team leaders and eBirders need to read over the list because there are a few species with special instructions based on location. Example Yellow-rumped Warblers should be reported as Myrtle subspecies unless a rare Audubon's is seen and well documented. 

In the narrative section of your trip report, add effort data and information outlined below.

eBird makes this easy: As long as you accurately reported your mileage on each checklist, (only counting ONE-WAY mileage), you can add up the hours and miles for your walking checklists. Round to the nearest quarter hour and quarter mile.  That's what you report for #hours and #miles walking. Now total your driving checklists. Report this number for #hours and #miles by car. If you're using a golf cart or boat, report those hours and miles as well, all separated by type of transportation.

# hours # miles walking

# hours # miles by car

# hours # miles by golf cart

# hours # miles by boat

If you spent time owling, report that time separately.

# hours # miles owling

Report the # of people on your team and if you stayed in one group. If split, how many sub-teams did you have in total?

Include start and stop times

Add names of all team members

Feel free to add any additional info you feel might be helpful for the team to know next year. Where you started, your route/main stops, where you found any rare or uncommon birds, etc.

If you birded outside of your sector, you'll need to remove those particular lists from your team trip report AND the compiler's trip report. You can remove lists from the Trip Report by viewing the report then selecting Edit > Manage checklists.

Make sure all lists are submitted by midnight on the day of the count. Send rare bird documentation and waivers to compiler. 

Share your checklists with your teammates who use eBird. There are two ways to do this. You can share each list using the eBird.org website. OR...

One exciting feature of eBird Trip Reports is the ability to share multiple checklists at once. You must first invite your teammates to the report by tapping Edit > Manage People. After trip members have accepted your invitation to join, return to 'Manage People', scroll down, and tap 'Share all checklists to…'.

Encourage anyone who took photos of birds to add them to their checklist.