eBird's Breeding Codes Explained

One of the most misused parts of eBird is the application of breeding codes to checklists. This video covers three key concepts that everyone needs to know about using breeding codes, and explains each one and how or when to use them. I wrap up with an explanation of Breeding versus Behavioral codes and how your codes can be reinterpreted.

0:00 Intro
0:47 Concepts
6:46 Possible Codes
9:36 Probable Codes
16:08 Confirmed Codes
24:04 Behavioral Codes

Correction:

0:25 Typo: “hierarchy”

[lt]

Oh my goodness, this is the response to my request ON STEROIDS!!! Thank you so much. I didn’t realize it would entail so much, but in true YOU fashion, it’s thorough, thoughtful, in depth, clear. I’m sorry, I hope you don’t regret taking that on. This was so interesting, so much to learn, thanks for taking the time and educating the masses. Much respect. Thanks! Lorraine

[jewforgsoc]

The 3rd New York BBA, which I was a regional coordinator on for the first few years, explicitly told people to use behavior-related breeding codes regardless of whenever or wherever birds exhibited this behavior and not worry about safe dates, because documenting behavior in migration is still valuable (and atlas technicians could sort out what was and what was not actually breeding behavior later on.) that doesn’t apply to H, obviously, but it does apply to codes like S, C, etc. these parameters would NOT preclude coding an American Tree Sparrow as S, even though it does not breed in New York.

[amberwiewel]

Thanks for making this excellent and thorough video, Doug! I'm happy to have this to share with Pennsylvania atlasers.

[marknofsinger]

That was thorough and very helpful. I'll be using the codes a lot more carefully if at all from now on.

[kenallison]

This was very helpful, Doug. We're in our last year of the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, so I can still use it.

[aureaphilos]

A very timely video; glad you timed this video for early migration.

[headtrauma_]

New Doug video! You post at strange times.. scared I’ll miss one!

[ezracampanelli]

Great video and awesome footage throughout!

[RoyceMarcus]

Thanks for this. I like to think I'm a good birder but these always seem a bit ambiguous - even after returning to the explanation many times. I tend to only apply this to confirmed or very obvious probably codes. I didn't know these only applied to projects (glad ebird made this more user friendly recently).

I've always wondered if these codes should be a gated feature for this apart of atlases/projects.

[Seek]

Cool videos! Glad I found this channel. Can you share your personal favorite field guide for birds of the west?

[tfi]

Excellent video, thank you! Many birds behave like Piping Plovers and Wrens with regards to nest building. For example, a Piping Plover male can scrape up to 17 nests (witnessed and counted) before a female will select one. I imagine other shorebirds might do the same?

[TomReichner]

I have a question about something I do not think you covered in the video
What about duck courtship flights? I mean when a hen is not yet paired up with a drake, and several drakes mob her until she flies, and they all chase her around in the air for several minutes, then she finally lands, exhausted, and they mob her again until she is driven to take flight again, and it repeats itself over and over for hours. It is definitely a vital part of the mate selection process, but it begins on the wintering grounds in December, many months before, and thousands of miles from, actual breeding and nesting. But some hens do not find a mate until much later, for example I saw two courtship flights just yesterday, one was 4 Greenwing Teal drakes chasing a hen around repeatedly, and the other involved 4 Common Merganser drakes chasing a hen. So that would be hens that either never paired up over the winter, or else something happened to their mate or they got separated from him, and are now without a mate, and the unattached drakes are vying for and competing with one another for her affections. I am wondering how this would be correctly entered into eBird.

[OrnithologyDevotee]

Very informative video! One question though. If I hear chicks inside of a nest with an adult feeding them what do I put for the species count? Do I just put down the adult or estimate how many chicks are inside the nest?

[peterlittle]

Thorough and interesting Doug, looks like you have damaged your arm / shoulder? Regards Peter.

[ChuckDarwin]

Ok tell me if I'm wrong to do this: my favorite birding patch has a ton of mimids - often I'll be pretty sure I hear a species singing, but if I don't see it I can't be certain it's not mimicry. I put these species down as 0 count and add a note that says something along the lines of 'heard only, possible mimicry'. Is this something I should avoid doing in the future?

[Seek]

eBird related question—can you link your eBird observations to iNaturalist???

[dukedex]

Hi, a little off topic but still ebird related.. On ebird is it possible to just record a bird seen at any location without needing to create a new checklist or naming a location? I want to record every time a life list bird is first seen without all the extra hindrance

[Nicolas_Zanartu]

Hi Doug! I have a little off topic question. Should dead birds be added to a checklist?

[jimgsewell]

Watching a male hummingbird try to dazzle the ladies with a repeated series of long dive-bombs and sweeping aerobatics is fun to watch. Watching a male American Kestrel present the female with a freshly caught vole is also neat to see.