For birders using the Birdlog smartphone app to enter observations, a somewhat different process is required. In Birdlog, selecting "All" at the top of the page will produce a list with the subspecies options. The procedure may be different for those using a different app.
Chuck Hundertmark Lafayette, CO On Sun, Jun 23, 2013 at 12:07 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi all: > > Being responsible for the filters used by eBird to determine for entries > which species are regular for time and place and which are not, I decided > last year to change how certain aspects of those filters are presented in > relation to a few species, particularly Willet and Fox Sparrow. Willet is > a rare-and-localized breeder in the state, but a common (and widespread) > migrant. As far as anyone knows, all occurrences of the species in the > state refer to the western subspecies *inornata*, known colloquially as > Western Willet or, in eBird parlance, 'Willet (Western).' The eastern > subspecies has not been shown to occur and is an exceedingly unlikely > candidate for vagrancy to the state. Thus, essentially, all Willets in the > state are Western Willets, so I have altered all of the state's eBird > filters to allow for 'Willet (Western)' but NOT for the straight-up species > category, 'Willet.' > > One monkey-wrench that this action creates is that anyone entering data > needs to check the 'Show Subspecies' box in the checklist view when > entering data. I have provided an example of this in a screen capture ( > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/9119119084/). This picture > also shows that the 'Show Rarities' box is checked, thus showing the > straight-up Willet entry (which is noted as 'RARE'); this entry would not > appear without that box being checked. The entry in this checklist for > Willet is indicated by the left arrow, pointing to the 9 Western Willets at > Barr Lake, Adams Co., on 24 April 2004. This subspecies entry would not > appear without the 'Show Subspecies' box being checked. > > Fox Sparrow presents something of a slightly different treatment, as at > least two forms of the species are found annually in the state: > Slate-colored Fox Sparrow [in eBird, 'Fox Sparrow (Slate-colored)] and Red > Fox Sparrow [Fox Sparrow (Red)]. However, the two forms are virtually > never in the state at the same time (barring the odd wintering > Slate-colored Fox Sparrow that seems to like the McConnells' yard). > Slate-colored is the breeding form in the mountains and is present, > typically, from some time in April to some time in September. Despite this > form's breeding occurrence in the mountains, it is exceedingly rare on the > plains and fairly rare anywhere as a migrant. This form seems to be able > to come and go from the state without making stopovers outside breeding > elevations and habitat, though that is somewhat less true on the West Slope > than it is in eastern Colorado. Red Fox Sparrow, a form for which the > Colorado Bird Records Committee requests documentation, is of annual > occurrence in very small numbers, primarily on the plains, typically as a > fall migrant in Oct-Nov, but with a bird or two in some winters. > > Because Fox Sparrows of any sort are rare on the plains, the Colorado > eBird filters for that region do not allow for the species at all, and one > must check the 'Show Rarities' box to have any Fox Sparrow category visible > for entry. In the montane counties, Fox Sparrow (Slate-colored) is allowed > by the relevant eBird filters for the time that the form is typically in > those areas. Since nearly all of the Fox Sparrows found during that time > period (~April - ~September) are local breeders or progeny thereof, no > other category of Fox Sparrow is permitted by the eBird filters for montane > Colorado; one must check the 'Show Rarities' box to have any other > categories become available. I have provided an example of Fox Sparrow > from a checklist from Jersey Jim Flats, Montezuma Co., on 7 July 2006, that > shows the 'Show Subspecies' box checked and the filter-allowed Fox Sparrow > entry ( > http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_leukering/9119054654/in/photostream/lightbox/). > The species-level category ('Fox Sparrow') would have been available had I > checked the 'Show Rarities' box. > > I did all of this to prepare Colorado eBird data for the possible/probable > split of such species. I am preparing to perform similar filter tasks for > Sage Sparrow, because it seems likely that the American Ornithologists' > Union will accept the proposal to split that species. As far as we know, > all Colorado records of Sage Sparrow are of what would be the interior > species (whatever the AOU would decide to call it, perhaps Great Basin > Sage-Sparrow). > > Thanks for your attention and for using eBird! > > Tony Leukering > Colorado eBird reviewer > San Clemente Island, CA > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/8D03E53A86E5581-1074-186D0%40webmail-m232.sysops.aol.com > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- Chuck Hundertmark 2546 Lake Meadow Drive Lafayette, CO 80026 303-604-0531 Cell: 720-771-8659 [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CACZCCxfFfa7Mcf5o%2BqkhGJ39C4VuprNGNwiMkZnmEC8vLTrTRg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
