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    4 min read 5 stepsApril 20, 2026Verified April 2026

    eBird: Log Your Bird Sightings and Discover What Birds Are Near You

    eBird from Cornell Lab lets you record birds you see, explore what others have spotted nearby, and contribute to real scientific research — all for free.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Apps & Services
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    4 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    ebird
    bird watching
    cornell lab
    bird sightings
    citizen science

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Create a free eBird account
    2. 2.Explore what birds are near you right now
    3. 3.Submit a checklist from the field
    4. 4.Track your life list and personal statistics
    5. 5.Find hotspots and plan birding outings
    1

    Create a free eBird account

    ~20s
    Go to ebird.org in your browser or download the eBird app from the App Store or Google Play. Click "Create Account" and register with your email address. Your account is free and has no limitations on the number of sightings you can log. You can use the same account on the website and the app — everything syncs automatically.
    2

    Explore what birds are near you right now

    ~38s
    On the eBird website, click "Explore" in the top navigation, then choose "Explore a Region" or "Explore a Location." Type in your city or zip code to see a list of species recently reported nearby. You can also click "Recent Nearby Sightings" in the app to see a map with pins showing where birds have been spotted in the last 30 days. Tap any pin to see which species were reported there and who reported them.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: Filter the map by a specific species you are hoping to find. If you want to see a Great Blue Heron, type it in the search box and the map will show you the nearest recent sightings.

    3

    Submit a checklist from the field

    ~34s
    When you are outside and see birds, open the eBird app and tap "Start a Checklist." The app automatically captures your GPS location. Choose whether you are stationary (sitting in one spot) or traveling (walking a trail). As you spot birds, search for them by name and add them to the list along with how many you saw. When you are done, tap Submit. Your checklist is right away added to the global database.

    Warning

    Only count birds you genuinely identified. Guessing inflates the data and makes the science less reliable. If you are not sure, skip it or mark it as "unknown" — that is perfectly acceptable.

    4

    Track your life list and personal statistics

    ~34s
    eBird automatically builds a "life list" — a record of every species you have ever logged. You can view it from your profile page to see how many species you have observed total, per year, per state, or per county. Many birders find this personal tracking one of the most motivating features. Your statistics update in real time with every checklist you submit.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: eBird also generates bar charts showing which species are most commonly seen in your county by month. This is a great way to plan outings during peak migration periods when you are likely to see the most variety.

    5

    Find hotspots and plan birding outings

    ~23s
    eBird's "Explore Hotspots" feature shows you the most productive birding locations in any area — parks, refuges, wetlands, and feeders that have generated many reports over time. Each hotspot has a species list, historical sighting data, and sometimes notes from other birders about the best spots within the location. This is one of the best ways to plan a morning outing when you want to see something new.

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    eBird is a free platform created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that lets anyone record bird sightings and share them with a global database used by scientists, conservationists, and bird enthusiasts around the world. When you log a bird you have seen, you are contributing to real research that helps track population trends, migration patterns, and the effects of climate change on bird species.

    But eBird is not just for scientists. It is also a practical tool for birders of every level. You can look up what birds have been seen near your home, at a park you are visiting, or along a trail you plan to hike. The "Explore" feature shows you a live map of recent sightings in your area. And you can filter by species to find out if that rare warbler someone mentioned has been spotted nearby.

    eBird is available as a website at ebird.org and as a free smartphone app for iPhone and Android. The app is particularly useful for logging birds while you are out in the field. You select your location, record the birds you see and how many, and submit the checklist. The whole process takes just a few minutes.

    As of 2026, eBird has recorded more than 1.5 billion bird observations from more than 500,000 contributors worldwide. Your observations, no matter how ordinary, add to that record. A common House Sparrow logged today in your backyard helps scientists understand where populations are stable and where they are declining.

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    ebird
    bird watching
    cornell lab
    bird sightings
    citizen science

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