Caribbean Waterbird Census 2020

Caribbean Waterbird Census 2020

Please join the Bonaire birding community for the 2020 Caribbean Waterbird Census! Anyone can participate in the CWC. Grab a friend, head out to your nearest wetland or beach on Bonaire, and record the birds you see from January 14th through February 3rd, 2020, which includes World Wetlands Day on February 2nd, 2020.

Here’s how to log your data so that it can properly be analyzed.  Be sure to use the eBird Caribbean portal and select the CWC protocol.

Banded Birds

Be sure to be on the lookout for banded birds! Especially Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. You may report your sightings to BandedBirds.org and the USGS Bird Banding Lab which oversee all banding in the United States.

Need Help?

Find a tricky shorebird in winter plumage that you can’t identify? Need help setting up an eBird account? Want to participate in the CWC but you’re not sure how to get started? Please contact BirdsCaribbean’s Waterbird Program Manager, Jessica Rozek Cañizares at jessica.rozek@birdscaribbean.org.

Entering CWC Data in eBird

CWC data is stored on eBird Caribbean. If you participate in the CWC, it’s very important that you enter your data through this website using the correct protocol on Step 2, because this is where the data is collated for analyses. Simply making an eBird list during these dates is not enough- the protocol is required for it to be CWC data.

If you are using a desktop computer to enter your data:

1. Sign in to your account on ebird.org/Caribbean
2. Enter location information
3. Select the appropriate CWC protocol under Observation Type

If you recorded your CWC data using the mobile eBird app:

After you have submitted your checklist on your smartphone:

1. Log into eBird on a desktop computer
2. Click on “My eBird” at the top of the screen
3. Click on “Manage My Checklists” on the right menu
4. For your CWC checklist, click on “View or Edit”
5. Click on “Edit Date and Effort”
6. For Observation Type, select “Other” and then choose the appropriate CWC protocol

With your help, we will make the 2020 census the best one yet!