Exploring the Unmapped – Why Remote Bird Surveys Matter

Most birders follow a simple rule when traveling: head straight to the hotspots. And why wouldn’t they? The thrill of adding new species to a life list, the efficiency of birding known locations, and the social buzz of eBird activity all make hotspots the logical choice.

An underrated European beauty, the ‘Blue-headed’ Western Yellow Wagtail. © Gyorgy Szimuly

But what about the places in between? The quiet roadside pull-offs, the unassuming farmland edges, the forgotten patches of scrub that no one stops for or the garden of your hotel?

These places hold their own avian secrets—and they’re often missing from the global birding dataset.

A Different Way to Bird

While most birders race from one well-documented hotspot to another, I take a different approach. I stop. I sample. I collect data where few others do.

Last year in Sicily, on the way to prime birding sites or simply near my hotel, I stopped at seemingly random grid corners and conducted 15-minute survey-like sessions. I wasn’t pursuing rare species; instead, I was sampling the avifauna in an underbirded world.

A classic Sicilian landscape with exciting Mediterranean bird communities. © Gyorgy Szimuly

The result? I discovered bird communities in places that otherwise wouldn’t be represented in eBird data. While others flocked to wetlands, I recorded migrants passing through roadside olive groves. While birders concentrated around reserves, I found surprising densities of Sardinian Warblers in unassuming patches of scrubland.

Even at the front yard of the famous cafe from Coppola’s ‘The Godfather’ movie produced a nice bird list during my visit. © Gyorgy Szimuly

This isn’t just casual birding. It’s structured. It’s simple. And it can make a difference.

Introducing PatchBird Explorer

To expand on this concept, I’ve developed PatchBird Explorer, an initiative that applies the same standardized methodology as the PatchBird Initiative to underbirded and remote locations. This project is designed for birders who, like me, want to contribute meaningful data beyond traditional hotspots.

How You Can Contribute

If you’re a traveling birder, you already have a built-in opportunity to improve the bigger picture of bird distribution. You don’t need to change your birding plans – just add a few surveys in places where no one else stops.

1. Request Your Grid Corner Points – Since UTM grids aren’t directly available in eBird, PatchBird Explorer provides customised 10x10 km grids for your survey area. You’ll receive a set of grid corners to guide your survey locations.

2. Pick a Remote Spot in Your Assigned Grid – Choose a location away from well-documented hotspots and conduct a 15-minute structured survey.

3. Follow the PatchBird Survey Protocol – Record all species observed, noting their relative abundance, and submit your checklist to eBird under the assigned location.

It’s a small effort, but one that expands our understanding of bird distribution beyond what’s currently documented.

Beyond the Hotspots: The Bigger Picture

Bird distribution data is only as strong as its coverage. What we don’t survey, we don’t know exists.

By incorporating remote-location sampling into our birding routines, we fill in those gaps. We bring clarity to the avian landscape in a way that single-minded hotspot chasing never could.

So, next time you’re en route to a prime birding site, ask yourself: What if I stopped here for just 15 minutes?

You might be surprised by what you find.

If you’re interested in joining PatchBird Explorer, request your grids today and become part of a growing effort to document birds beyond the hotspots.

Join the PatchBird Explorer