Chinese White Wagtail / Chiang Rai yesterday (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and Bird Watchers!

Attached pictures, is a white wagtail. I discovered that there was a lot of options when I was report the birds in eBird.

I looked at my charts over White wagtails that I found on Wikipedia a few years ago, see attached.

With the help of this chart I ID the birds as Chinese White Wagtails and reported them as thus even though eBird don't like when we report subspecies.

What do you think? Is this a White Wagtail (Chinese) - Motacilla alba leucopsis (Motacilla leucopsis)?

Kind Regards and Happy Birding
Aladdin

 

[johnallcock]

Yes, this is a male leucopsis. It's the commonest taxon in Thailand I think.

... even though eBird don't like when we report subspecies.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. eBird usually encourages people to submit subspecies where possible. It's especially important in a situation like this, where there are potentially multiple subspecies occurring in the same area and reporting the subspecies helps to clarify the status and distribution of each. I usually submit White Wagtails to subspecies in eBird.

 

[Aladdin]

Yes, this is a male leucopsis. It's the commonest taxon in Thailand I think.



I'm not sure what you mean by this. eBird usually encourages people to submit subspecies where possible. It's especially important in a situation like this, where there are potentially multiple subspecies occurring in the same area and reporting the subspecies helps to clarify the status and distribution of each. I usually submit White Wagtails to subspecies in eBird.

Thank you again johnallcock!

I don't remember where I read it, I actually think it was here on the birdforum. One birder working for eBird wrote that he did not like when subspecies was reported as he had to change it on so many checklists.

And I also stopped making the reports: Singing bird, pair, feeding, on nest, fly over, carry nest material etc. Before I always did it but I got an email from eBird that I should not do it so now I have stopped with this.

I even went back one or two years to remove all those remarks.

Now I write it in details, but that is just for my own records as I like the history of what the bird have done. Also came in to good use last time I discussed yellow gapes with Butty. I went back and my records shove nest building in June both in Thailand and Cambodia and August birds with yellow gape. And I had one with yellow gape in December 2023.

I learn a little from those details so this is the reason I do it, but the code was quite handy, but if they dont want it....

Thanks again, highly appreciated
Aladdin

 

[01101001]

Thank you again johnallcock!

I don't remember where I read it, I actually think it was here on the birdforum. One birder working for eBird wrote that he did not like when subspecies was reported as he had to change it on so many checklists.

And I also stopped making the reports: Singing bird, pair, feeding, on nest, fly over, carry nest material etc. Before I always did it but I got an email from eBird that I should not do it so now I have stopped with this.

I even went back one or two years to remove all those remarks.

Now I write it in details, but that is just for my own records as I like the history of what the bird have done. Also came in to good use last time I discussed yellow gapes with Butty. I went back and my records shove nest building in June both in Thailand and Cambodia and August birds with yellow gape. And I had one with yellow gape in December 2023.

I learn a little from those details so this is the reason I do it, but the code was quite handy, but if they dont want it....

Thanks again, highly appreciated
Aladdin

That's very strange.

Breeding and Behavior Codes provide a way for birders to document the breeding activities of birds around the world, providing crucial information for research and conservation globally. Our goal is to collect information about the timing and locations of bird breeding behavior on a year-round and worldwide basis.

(eBird Breeding and Behavior Codes)

eBird data quality is of utmost importance, and every checklist and observation goes through a multi-layered data quality process.

Less data = less work for reviewers?? No idea. But it shouldn't work that way. What did they tell you?

 

[Aladdin]

That's very strange.


(eBird Breeding and Behavior Codes)


Less data = less work for reviewers?? No idea. But it shouldn't work that way. What did they tell you?

Hello 01101001

I have changed the Comon Sandpiper and I have also removed all breeding codes. Just removed from my last couple of checklists as it would take ages to remove from all the checklists. Maybe they can do it from eBird easily. But I will not put any more breeding codes in the check lists

Best Regards
Aladdin

The documentation you have provided shows a Common Greenshank: can you please update your checklist?

Also please note that you should not use breeding codes (including "H - in appropriate habitat") for migrant birds that are not known to breed in the area, particularly this early in the season. Can you please remove these codes for the other species too?

And as I don't know where the birds are breeding I have stopped to put the breeding code

Cheers!
Aladdin

 

[Butty]

as I don't know where the birds are breeding I have stopped to put the breeding code

Check your field guide: that will show you whether a given bird breeds anywhere near your location; if it doesn't, and is thus highly unlikely to be a candidate for breeding there, there will be no point in giving breeding-related info (unless you do find good evidence of actual breeding).
(An aside... Could you always state the country when you post an ID query. Thanks.)

 

[01101001]

Can you please remove these codes for the other species too?

I think they just meant 'F', 'H' and 'P' codes. I never use them myself out of an abundance of caution. I also only sometimes use 'S7' because I can't be bothered to count, and I'm extremely cautious with 'UN' and also make sure I don't use 'CF' for species I shouldn't. The rest should be fine because they require direct breeding evidence. If a breeding code is wrong, eBird reviewers leave a note to that effect:

eBird Breeding and Behavior Codes

Breeding and Behavior Codes provide a way for birders to document the breeding activities of birds around the world, providing crucial information for research and conservation globally. Our goal is to collect information about the timing and loc...

support.ebird.org

I use 'S' not only for song but also for autumn/winter subsong, which might be wrong (I think it should belong to category 2, i.e. breeding meaning is different.)

 

[Aladdin]

I think they just meant 'F', 'H' and 'P' codes. I never use them myself out of an abundance of caution. I also only sometimes use 'S7' because I can't be bothered to count, and I'm extremely cautious with 'UN' and also make sure I don't use 'CF' for species I shouldn't. The rest should be fine because they require direct breeding evidence. If a breeding code is wrong, eBird reviewers leave a note to that effect:

eBird Breeding and Behavior Codes

Breeding and Behavior Codes provide a way for birders to document the breeding activities of birds around the world, providing crucial information for research and conservation globally. Our goal is to collect information about the timing and loc...

support.ebird.org

I use 'S' not only for song but also for autumn/winter subsong, which might be wrong (I think it should belong to category 2, i.e. breeding meaning is different.)

Thank you!

I am not very good at this birding thing so I skip the breeding code. At least until I get a little better to keep track of what kind of birds it is and if they are in the breeding area.

Also, singing bird, I am yet not able to hear the difference between the song or call.

So I make notes in the "details" section for my own personal use

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[01101001]

They've advertised their own eBird introduction course that covers the technical side of things, but I don't know if it's any good.

and if they are in the breeding area.

The other codes are easier because if there are chicks/eggs or if there's some nest building going on, then--in and of itself--the birds have to be in appropriate breeding habitat. For a moment, I tried to use a complex system to judge what constitutes appropriate habitat (whether I ever saw a bird of that species breeding there before), but--now--I never do (it took too much effort and wasn't fun). Instead, I rely on the breeding codes that are obvious to me: NY, FY, CF, FL (with gape flange/small juveniles), ON, NB, CN, B, N, C, M and S.

When I'm not sure, I visit one of the specific atlas websites, which often have more specific explanations/charts/examples than in the link above, such as Breeding Codes - New York Breeding Bird Atlas or Atlas Data Entry 301: Understanding Breeding Codes & Timing - Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.

Also, singing bird, I am yet not able to hear the difference between the song or call.

It's true I have much fewer breeding birds in Poland.

 

[Aladdin]

They've advertised their own eBird introduction course that covers the technical side of things, but I don't know if it's any good.


The other codes are easier because if there are chicks/eggs or if there's some nest building going on, then--in and of itself--the birds have to be in appropriate breeding habitat. For a moment, I tried to use a complex system to judge what constitutes appropriate habitat (whether I ever saw a bird of that species breeding there before), but--now--I never do (it took too much effort and wasn't fun). Instead, I rely on the breeding codes that are obvious to me: NY, FY, CF, FL (with gape flange/small juveniles), ON, NB, CN, B, N, C, M and S.

When I'm not sure, I visit one of the specific atlas websites, which often have more specific explanations/charts/examples than in the link above, such as Breeding Codes - New York Breeding Bird Atlas or Atlas Data Entry 301: Understanding Breeding Codes & Timing - Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.


It's true I have much fewer breeding birds in Poland.

Cheers!

I am slowly learning so I am sure to get in to in a while. Your links will come in handy. I studied the breeding code, your first link and I learned something immediately.

Fly over, I never put the raptors soaring as a fly over as I have counted them as searching for food in the area But for an example, an egret flying without I see it taking off or landing is a fly over for me.

So you live in Poland. I was in the Warsaw looking for birds, a beautiful area with the river and wet lands. I really enjoyed it.

Kind Regards
Aladdin