A “birder” is a person who watches wild birds for enjoyment. An eBirder is a person who writes down their bird observations and submits them to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site, eBird. The eBird database is global and growing rapidly. Today there are over ONE BILLION bird observations in the database.

The number of people who bird for pleasure increased during the pandemic’s first year. Being restricted by the virus meant that people were at home more and looking out their windows. People discovered eBird and began to record their local sightings. Along with the growth of the eBird community science database, some people began to look more closely at their birds. They began to read about birds and their biology. They learned about habitats and conservation needs. People joined local bird conservation organizations like the North Central Washington Audubon Society (NCWAS) or national organizations like Cornell or Audubon. This increased awareness of birds has to be a good thing.

The eBird data from the NCWAS four-county area shows a steady increase in both the number of checklists being submitted over time and the number of people who are submitting data to eBird. The two graphics below show the steady climb in the number of checklists submitted and the number of observers. It’s impressive! Will the trends continue? Time will tell. You can contribute by setting up a FREE eBird account and sending your bird sightings into eBird.

While the number of eBirders in Ferry county is small relative to the other counties, the 82 eBirders represent 1.07% of the county’s population, the highest percentage of the four counties. When represented as a percentage of the county population, 0.83% of Chelan county, 0.56% of Douglas county, and 0.95% of Okanogan county are active eBirders in 2021.