I'm kind of getting tired and frustrated with the quality of the comments/reports submitted to ebird. Below is a classic case that should be tagged, monitored,filtered, whatever you want to call it by ebird admin people. I see a lot of reports on rarities and the comments go something like: "My 436th life bird for North America! It was great, we just stood there and watched the bird walk left, then walk right, then it called a few times, then my friend Jane said wow, did you see that? Then it flew away. It was identified by our really cool friend and excellent birder, Joe Smith, who is familiar with this species because he saw one once in Alaska. Thanks Joe! You're the best! Totally MEGA!" I'm beginning to glaze over when I see reports of the quality above and below, reported in ebird, which are becoming all too common Then there was a report this morning of a Mistle Thrush from Ontario. The Comment was: It looked plump, maybe a young bird." What? Garbage. I Think ebird staff should demand higher standards than gobildy gook pap. Where's their QA people on this? I astirisked the names and "broke" the links to protect the innocent, and not so innocent......... See below.
White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) (1) - Reported May 01, 2019 17:45 by ***** ****** - Englewood,Charlotte County.FL, Charlotte, Florida - Map: http://maps.google.com/ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=26.9371612,-82.3678802&ll=26.9371612,-82.3678802 - Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S5581462 - Comments: "**** ****** and I were enjoying a nice warbler fall out at this location when Jeff said "Get on this bird!!" I looked up with the naked eye, and saw a large, dark, long pointed winged, slightly forked tailed bird gliding towards us. I thought why do I want to get on a nighthawk?At that point **** said "That's a fuckin' White-collared Swift!!! " The bird zoomed behind some Australian Pines. Then it rose up quickly, at least 60 ft, at this point I got the swift in bins, as it did a circle over us, before it went back down behind the pines headed east. Jeff and I ran full speed to the street where we saw no sign of the swift.When I got the look in bins I could clearly see the broad white band going across the breast. The swift was massive and all dark other than the breast band from head to tail. I noticed very long primaries that swept back toward a martin like, slightly forked tail. **** and I stood there dumbfounded. This is a N.American, never mind FL,MEGA!!! LIFAH!!!!" John AskildsenMillbrook, New York -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
