Varied Thrush / Debra Regula / Great Backyard Bird Count
Billions of birds die each year due to human-related causes, including cat predation, bird-window collisions, and entanglement in fishing lines or other trash. The vast majority of these deaths are not documented.
dBird.org is an online crowd-sourcing data collection tool that provides a way for all of us to contribute to research on human-related bird mortality and injury.
If you find a dead or injured bird, please submit a report through dBird. It only takes a minute. No need to download an app or create an account, dBird opens directly in your web browser on your smart phone, tablet, or desktop.
Step by step guide to using dBird
Open your web browser and go to https://dbird.org.
1. Select location. Drop a pin to indicate where you found the dead or injured bird by clicking or tapping once on the map. Zoom in or out by using the + or – buttons in the top left corner of the map frame, by using the scroll wheel on your mouse, or on touch screens by stretching apart or pinching together two fingers. You may also enter a city, state, or address in the address bar. If you are using dBird on a smart phone with location services enabled, you can use the “Get Location” button in the top right corner of the map frame and dBird will automatically drop a pin at your current location. To change the location of the pin, click or tap elsewhere on the map.
2. About the bird. Provide species, age, and sex information about the bird. If you are uncertain about any of these details, it is best to select “unknown.” Uploading a photo of the bird will help dBird administrators complete unknown data fields.
3. Details. Indicate when you found the bird, whether it was dead or injured, and the cause of death/injury if known.
- Date and time. These fields automatically set to the moment you open dBird. To change the date and time, click the calendar icon. Select the year, month, and day when the bird was found, and click “OK.” Then select the hour, minute, and a.m or p.m. and click “OK” again.
- If you know the cause of death/injury, use the drop down menu to select the cause. If you select “Other,” please describe in the notes.
4. Additional info. Upload a photo, share any useful notes, and provide your name and email. While none of these fields are required, photos, notes, and contact information help dBird administrators confirm bird identification, understand the causes of bird death/injury, and to follow up with you for clarification or more information. Contact information provided through dBird is never shared. Useful notes could include description of the location and surrounding habitat where the bird was found, condition of the carcass, evidence of predation, plumage description, size, proximity to buildings, etc.
5. Submit. Click submit! You’re all done.
Visualizing dBird reports
dBird lets us visualize where dead and injured birds are reported. On the map above you can see dBird reports in Birds Connect Seattle’s service area. Hover over points to see species information. These data will help contextualize and guide more scientifically rigorous research efforts at Birds Connect Seattle.
Questions about dBird?
Click here to review the dBird User Guide or email our Urban Conservation Manager.
Our Partners
dBird is a product of New York City Audubon. This expansion was made possible by the generosity of Jim and Birte Falconer.
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