Oregon Birding Where Nobody’s Looked
These maps show Oregon places where birders have submitted lists to the world’s largest public database for bird observations (eBird.org) as of December 2022. This only includes reports where birders indicated they were reporting all species they could identify from a single point (stationary counts). The larger the “blank spaces” between points on any map, the greater the mystery of what birds occur there. By stopping to bird in some of these areas (provided access and safety allow) and entering the observations into eBird, birders may contribute more to improving knowledge of Oregon bird distributions and habitat preferences than by birding only in places previously visited.
Coverage within larger blank spaces contributes the most. Those are best viewed by zooming in to a map, driving there, finding a safe place to park, and using the eBird mobile app to enter what is seen or heard. Where cell phone coverage is lacking, observers can still enter their counts but postpone marking the location and then submit the list when in signal range. Since these maps were first posted in 2019, several people have regularly spent a day intentionally traveling through blank areas, stopping every few miles, and taking a few minutes to eBird what they see or hear sometimes with help from the Merlin app.
Note that some previously visited points are on private land; it should not be inferred that access is currently allowed without landowner permission.
– Paul Adamus, February 2023