Implementations &
Methods

Spatial Framework

PatchBird Surveys use a simple spatial framework in which the globe is divided into 1 × 1 kilometre grid squares. Each survey is linked to a fixed grid location, allowing observations to be repeated at the same place over time and compared consistently across regions and habitats.

This grid-based approach ensures that bird observations are spatially structured without requiring participants to work with complex coordinate systems. Surveyors only need to visit the assigned location and follow the standardised survey protocol.

Choosing Your Survey Spot

When you decide to participate, you are asked to indicate the general area where you plan to conduct surveys — for example, your local neighbourhood, a favourite birding site, or another accessible landscape.

Based on this information, the project team will provide one or more designated UTM grid locations for your surveys. Because these points are not public eBird Hotspots, they must be activated in your eBird account through a shared checklist process:

The coordinator will share a blank eBird checklist tied to your assigned UTM grid location.
Once you accept the shared checklist, the location appears in your eBird account.
After your first completed survey, the original blank checklist will be deleted automatically.

Please do not create your own eBird location for PatchBird surveys — using the provided point ensures that data remain consistent and comparable across contributors.

Because survey locations are linked to a fixed 1 × 1 km grid, the assigned point may not fall exactly on the spot you originally had in mind. A deviation of up to 50–100 metres is acceptable when selecting a practical counting position.

What matters most is consistency. Once you have chosen your final counting spot, all subsequent surveys should be conducted from the same position. Repeated surveys from a consistent location are far more valuable than small differences in exact placement between visits.

Regular surveys at the same location are more valuable than occasional visits to many different sites.

Survey Protocol

PatchBird uses standardised eBird protocols to define survey efforts clearly, including duration, method, and location. Following a consistent protocol improves the reliability and comparability of observations across places and participants.

Survey Duration and Methodology

Each survey is 15 minutes long.
Surveys are conducted from a stationary position within the designated UTM grid cell.
Small movements within a 30-metre radius of the survey point are permitted where necessary for visibility or practical access.
During the count, record all bird species detected by sight or sound.

This standardised approach ensures that differences in observed bird detections more reliably reflect ecological variation rather than variation in survey effort.

Timing of Surveys and Frequency

The preferred survey period is during morning hours, when bird activity and detectability are typically higher.
Multiple counts at the same location are recommended during relevant seasons (e.g., the breeding season).
For reliable within-season comparisons, conduct consecutive surveys at intervals of 10–14 days.

Repeated standardised surveys over time are essential for detecting temporal patterns in relative abundance and understanding seasonal or annual changes.

eBird
Breeding Codes

When appropriate, observers are encouraged to use the eBird Breeding Codes to document behaviours indicative of breeding (e.g., singing males, nests, carrying food). These codes provide additional context about life-history phases, improving interpretability of the data for ecological analysis.

Nocturnal and Incidental Surveys

Nocturnal surveys (stationary counts conducted at night) are acceptable for monitoring species active after sunset, provided that observers adhere to safety best practices for night fieldwork. Incidental checklists that document nocturnal activity outside the standard protocol are also accepted and can contribute useful information, especially for night-active species.

Ethical
Considerations

PatchBird Surveys are conducted with respect for wildlife, people, and places. Participants should avoid disturbing birds, especially during sensitive periods such as breeding, and should never alter habitat or behaviour to improve detectability. Surveys should be paused or abandoned if bird welfare could be compromised.
Observers must respect private property, local regulations, and access restrictions at all times. Ethical field conduct is a core expectation of participation and ensures that collected data are both responsible and scientifically credible.

Accessibility

Survey locations are selected with practicality and safety in mind, but not all grid points are directly accessible. If a designated location falls on private land, open water, or otherwise unsafe terrain, surveys should be conducted from the nearest safe and accessible vantage point that reasonably represents the surrounding area.
Participants are encouraged to prioritise personal safety and accessibility when conducting surveys. PatchBird Surveys welcomes contributions from birders of diverse abilities, and flexibility in positioning is acceptable provided that surveys remain as consistent as possible over time.

Checklist sharing

To ensure your data are included in the PatchBird Surveys dataset:

Add the PatchBird project’s eBird username (PatchBirdSurveys) to your contacts in the eBird app or website.
Add the project username as a friend in eBird; this prevents the account from appearing unfamiliar when you share checklists.
Shared checklists will then be included in the project’s analytical dataset.

Detailed information on eBird’s checklist-sharing process is available from the official eBird support resources.

Data Analysis and Outputs

Collected survey data are submitted directly to eBird, where they become part of a globally accessible biodiversity dataset. Within PatchBird Surveys, submitted checklists are processed using established statistical and analytical methods to estimate relative abundance patterns and generate outputs such as:

Spatial maps illustrating bird occurrence and relative abundance
Seasonal summaries showing changes in species activity
Trend indicators highlighting emerging increase or decline signals

These analyses help translate individual checklists into broader ecological insights that can inform conservation planning and research.

Quality Assurance

Data quality in citizen science initiatives depends on consistent methods and transparent protocols. The PatchBird Survey Protocol contributes to quality assurance by:

Fixing survey duration and method to reduce effort variation
Using a structured spatial system (UTM grid) to ensure location consistency
Encouraging repeated visits to the same site to strengthen temporal inference
Leveraging eBird’s existing review and validation systems to flag unusual records

Additional quality control may be applied during analysis as the dataset accumulates, such as checking for observer bias and variability in detectability.

PatchBird Surveys