BirdView Orientation

Welcome to BirdView, an interactive web tool for analyzing bird-sighting data from sources like eBird and the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Created by Steve Colwell, a retired programmer and birder, BirdView makes it easy and fun to search bird data in ways otherwise impossible.

See this helpful Video about BirdView, as it was presented to the San Diego Field Ornithologists Sept 2025 club meeting.

Click here to jump directly into BirdView.

Any questions and comments about BirdView are gladly received -- just email Steve at steve@birdview.info.

 

Understanding the BirdView Interface

The easiest way to operate BirdView is to chat with the AI at the top of the screen, to ask questions, request changes, and get insights. So you can make the best use of it, this guide lets you know what's what with BirdView.

When the AI answers your question, it sets up on the left side the appropriate search fields: Area, Species, Date, and more. These define what data to show. You can edit them directly too. There are many other search fields; ask the AI for details.

The center shows colored dots on the Map for each checklist/record in your search. BirdView shows every single checklist by default, and then filters it down to just the ones matching your search. Click the dots for details, or scroll and drag the map to explore.

Above the map is the Counts menu, which controls how totals are calculated: number of records, unique species, individual birds, etc.. The AI will choose the appropriate one for your query, such as using Species when looking for the sites with the most diversity, or Individuals to eliminate the overcount of checklists observing a very rare bird.

The right side shows the Breakdown pane, which is a table summarizing the search results, with subtotals by Month, Species, or Who Observed -- whatever you choose from the dropdown menu.

At the right of the chat section is a "Start a New Topic" button that resets the conversation and clears the current search.

 

How to Use the AI Assistant (BV)

The AI is your guide - think of it as a knowledgeable birder helping you navigate data. Chat naturally, and it will interpret your requests, update search fields, and answer questions about birds or about using BirdView. For example:

• Ask for specific searches: "Show hawks in Southern California this winter."
• Request comparisons: "Compare pelican sightings in Balboa Park vs. Centennial Park."
• Get explanations: "What months have the most very rare birds in Santa Barbara?"
• Seek advice: "What's the best spot for Red-necked Grebes?"

If you leave your conversation in the window (without using Start a New Topic to erase it), then the AI remembers the conversation so you don't have to repeat things. So start with a search question, then just use phrases to tweak it like "For that last 2 years only" or "All types of hawks".

 

What BirdView Can Do

BirdView pulls from global bird-sighting data so it can search locally or globally. Here's background on its strengths to help you ask the right questions:

 

Searching and Filtering

• Areas: Ask for sightings in specific places, like cities, sites (e.g., parks), counties, states, or even worldwide. E.g., "Pelicans in Santa Barbara city since 2020." BirdView requires county-and-larger areas in the Area field, and City, parks, CBC circles, and smaller areas in the Site names or Latitude, Longitude fields -- so shortcut all that by just telling the AI where you want to search and it'll work out those details. In fact there are many location queries, such as addresses or colloquial region names that BirdView won't understand directly, so use the AI and it'll translate into what BirdView needs.
• Site names: The name of a specific hotspot or site name. Caveat: many sites have names that don't match the main name for that are. For instance, "West end" for a site near "Lake Hodges". To find all the sites near a landmark, it's best to use a latlon circle around the area. Ask the AI to find "sites within 1 miles of Lake Hodges".
• Species: Query by common names, groups (e.g., hawks, waterfowl), or traits (e.g., rare, exotic). The AI handles corrections or translations. E.g., "Hummingbirds in Balboa Park." You can search scientific names too using the Latin checkbox, or just ask the AI and it will set it up for you.
• Dates and Times: Filter by years, months, seasons, or recent periods. There are special symbols to get exactly the meaning you want, such as ">2024 & Oct-Nov". As always the AI will work those out for you from your question
• Other Filters: Include breeding info, observers, media (photos/audio), or rarities. E.g., "Rare birds with photos in the last year." Click the [-] button at the top to show all the search fields, then hover over them for popup descriptions. Or ask the AI about ones of interest. By getting some familiarity with then you'll have a better idea what searches the AI can do for you.

 

Breakdowns

The breakdown pane is the real power of BirdView, where it turns a bunch of search results into useful data. For instance if you find all American Redstarts in an area, just breakdown by Month to get a feel what time of year they're present. Then breakdown by Site name to see the statistically best location where they're reliably seen. If searching a large area like a state, then breakdown by County to see how they're distributed within the state. And of course for multi-species searches such as for hawks, Breakdown by Species makes it easy to see what exactly is in the results.

The natural way of using BirdView is to do a search, do a breakdown or two to understand the results, modify the search, etc. Don't think of it as a "search and done" process where you get a narrow result. Think of it as a step by step exploration of the data, so by the end you have a real feel for what the data is telling you.

 

Advanced Features

• Comparisons: Compare locations, years, or species. E.g., "Compare hawks in 2023 vs. 2024." Comparisons use different dot colors for each portion of the comparison, and produce an extra column in the Breakdown for each of the portions.
• Life Lists: Use your eBird life list to find birds you've never seen before. Ask: "How do I use my life list?".
• Rarities and Trends: Find rare, very rare, or out-of-season birds. E.g., "Very rare birds in my area."
• Breeding Data: Explore nests or specific breeding behaviors. E.g., "Nesting sites for thrushes."
• United States or Whole-world search BirdView can search very large areas, even the entire world at once, but it requires a reasonably powerful computer, that can handle turning on the 32GB checkbox above the Area field. The AI will do this for you.
• Updates: Data is updated monthly, but can be updated daily on request. The AI will tell you how.

 

Tips for Getting the Most Out of BirdView

• Ask Anything: If you see the AI do something puzzling, ask! "What does it mean that you wrote >2022 & Sept?"
• Hover for Hints: Mouse over UI elements for pop-up explanations.
• Tutorials: Use the "Searches" menu (above the search pane) for example queries.
• Sharing: Copy a URL (via the chain icon) to share your view with others.
• Saving: Use the star menu to save favorite searches.
• Images: Click the duck icon at the bottom of the search pane to turn on species photos.

Happy BirdViewing! If you need more help with using or learning to use, just chat with the AI or if it doesn't have the answer, email steve@birdview.info.