During the last 17 years I have been improving skills to perform my favorite outdoor recreation: watching birds. Besides simply observing birds, learning how to better engage in this activity has opened the door for doing my bit for benefit of bird identification activities and bird counts in Puerto Rico. Consequently, I have been able to share my knowledge acquired so far with others. Besides entertaining myself, I have felt satisfaction for helping update listings about birds in Puerto Rico as well as influencing others to appreciate birds, a Mother Earth’s precious gift.

I have viewed birds in diverse natural areas such as mangroves, beaches, rivers, lagoons, reservoirs, tropical rainforests, and humid forests in karst zone. As an interpretive guide running my own business for many years, I had the opportunity to enjoy looking at birds during tours. I identified these and shared my findings with tour participants, who were happily surprised or amazed whenever I pointed out birds, and grateful for letting them know about bird identification resources. Sometimes we, as a group, created lists about birds found and shared these through eBird digital platform.

Over the years, I joined efforts for keeping registries about bird species found in various habitats in Puerto Rico. When I worked as an environmental interpretive guide for Para la Naturaleza, a nonprofit organization that organizes guided outdoor recreations and promotes environmental conservation in Puerto Rico, I learned more about birding and even guided bird census in which scientific data-gathering protocols were used. While in forests, mangroves and cities, I recorded information about birds observed, including specific location, time when identified, respective bird songs and calls, among others. In addition, I have assisted San Juan Bay Estuary Program during various bird counts part of Christmas Bird Census Gamaliel Pagán Hernández events.

I find interesting that bird-watchers may apply different tactics for bird identification. I like using sound mapping technique—I close my eyes, listen, and write about everything I hear and the names of identified bird species. When I do this, I feel truly engaged with natural surroundings even when city sounds may be heard from a farther distance.

I believe you may also benefit from the rewards of birding and contributing efforts for keeping bird identification registries. A first step can be learning about diverse techniques to spot birds and properly identify these. Sometimes nonprofit organizations that foster environmental conservation offer workshops about these matters. For your benefit and based on an interview by ecotreasures crew to Eliezer Nieves, Education Specialist under San Juan Bay Estuary Program, below I summarize information about a particular educational unit, currently free of charge and managed by San Juan Bay Estuary Program in Puerto Rico, which covers basics about bird identification and participatory bird counts.

San Juan Bay Estuary Program’s Participatory Bird Census Module*:

1) Module’s Overview: Basic training about bird identification, techniques and resources useful for bird census. Learning about common birds in areas within San Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed. Participants receive the corresponding Citizen Scientist Certification following compliance with all module’s requirements: two workshops (online and/or face-to-face), and two bird count field trips. Participants must be at least 18 years old. **

2) Module’s Requirements:

(a) Introduction Workshop

Examples of Workshop’s Topics: (i) description and types of bird counts, (ii) importance and purpose of bird census and related data gathering, (iii) how to use binoculars, (iv) different ways to count birds, and (v) illustrated list of birds in diverse ecosystems within San Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed and the ecosystem of the estuary itself.

Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour, 20 minutes (est.)

b) One Elective Workshop

Participants may choose one workshop from diverse seasonal electives offered during the module program’s year (Oct.-Sept.). Examples of electives: (i) Introduction to eBird Workshop, (ii) workshop about aquatic birds’ identification, (iii) workshop about Puerto Rico’s endemic birds, especially those within San Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed, and (iv) workshop about environmental laws for protection of wildlife (e.g.: birds).

The Introduction to eBird Workshop covers how to use eBird, and reference to Merlin Bird ID, both digital applications and projects of Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The San Juan Bay Estuary Program’s staff registers bird count’s findings in eBird. Merlin Bird ID platform includes birds’ images and vocal sounds. Both platforms are available for use by the public.

Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour, 20 minutes (est.)

c) Two Field Trips for Participatory Bird Census

Overview: Practical training about how to count birds based on what is seen and heard (birds’ vocal sounds), and how to record findings in eBird. Participants use binoculars for birding. Module’s staff registers census results and shares corresponding list recorded in eBird with field trip’s participants.

Field Trips’ Locations: areas within San Juan Bay Estuary’s watershed, where bird counts are organized as Module’s events or under Christmas Bird Census Gamaliel Pagán Hernández held annually (Dec.14 - Jan. 5) by San Juan Bay Estuary Program. The latter takes place in consideration of Christmas Bird Count coordinated by National Audubon Society in United States.

Equipment and Bird ID Resources: (i) Binoculars- Module’s staff may provide these during bird counts organized as Module’s events, and participants need to return them afterwards (disinfection protocol applies before and after activity), (ii) illustrated bird guides or identification cards (optional)- Module’s staff may show bird ID cards to participants, and/or (iii) Merlin Bird ID application- optional for participants to use in their mobile phones.

Duration: 2 to 3 hours (est.)

Participating in the above-mentioned Module could lead the way for adequate bird exploration and identification; and thus, contribution to scientific research for the benefit of birds’ conservation. For more information about the Module, you may contact San Juan Bay Estuary Program or read information posted in its website. T.: 787-725-8165 E.: voluntarios@estuario.org W: https://estuario.org For dates of related events, see https://estuario.org/events

* Article’s Collaborator: N. Michelle Rodríguez Amadeo. The above summary about Participatory Bird Census Module is based on information gathered by N. Michelle Rodríguez Amadeo during an interview to Eliezer Nieves, Education Specialist under San Juan Bay Estuary Program.

** Workshops may be held through online platforms and/or may be face-to-face courses, as announced by San Juan Bay Estuary Program.

Translated by N. Michelle Rodríguez Amadeo