BirdTrack is an online
citizen science
Citizen science (CS) (similar to community science, crowd science, crowd-sourced science, civic science, participatory monitoring, or volunteer monitoring) is scientific research conducted with participation from the public (who are sometimes re ...
website, operated by the
British Trust for Ornithology
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles. The Prince of Wales has been patron since October 2020.
History
Beginnings
In 1931 Max Nicholson wrote:
In the United State ...
(BTO) on behalf of a partnership of the BTO, the
RSPB
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...
,
BirdWatch Ireland
BirdWatch Ireland (BWI) is a voluntary conservation organisation devoted to the conservation and protection of wild birds and their habitats in Ireland. It was formerly known as the Irish Wildbird Conservancy (IWC). Irish Wildbird Conservancy was f ...
, the
Scottish Ornithologists' Club
The Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC) is a Scottish ornithological body, founded in March 1936 at the premises of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. As of 2008, the SOC has 2,200 members. The Club runs the Scottish Birds Records Committee ...
and the
Welsh Ornithological Society
The Welsh Ornithological Society ( cy, Cymdeithas Adaryddol Cymru) is an organisation which promotes the study and conservation of birds in Wales. Each year it organises a conference and publishes two issues of the journal ''Welsh Birds'', one of w ...
( cy, Cymdeithas Adaryddol Cymru).
It is also available though
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
s.
BirdTrack allows birdwatchers to record the names and numbers of birds seen in a specified location anywhere in the world.
It acts as a log for those wishing to maintain lists of their own sightings,
but also feeds data into various scientific surveys,
is used for research and conservation purposes,
and generates maps for public consumption. The maps are rendered using
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free, open geographic database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveys, trace from aerial imagery and also import from other freely licensed g ...
data.
BirdTrack is part of
WorldBirds, a global initiative to record bird sightings.
In October 2014, data from BirdTrack was used as evidence in the conviction of a gamekeeper for illegally killing ten
Common Buzzard
The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...
s and a
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred ...
.
References
External links
*
*
* {{YouTube , id=Fdwo_F0WBaY , title=BirdTrack iPhone app tutorial
British science websites
Citizen science
Ornithology in the United Kingdom
Ornithology in Ireland
Ornithological atlases
Online databases