Global birding giant eBird collaborates with BirdLife International on KBAs

BirdLife International has collaborated with eBird to integrate all Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) into the eBird online portal https://ebird.org/explore/birdlife. This BirdLife International-brokered partnership is a good move because it raises the profile of KBAs and thus helps with their conservation. This collaboration aims to monitor and conserve the most important sites for nature. This searchable feature allows users to view summaries within a KBA. Try it out for yourself - go to the link and type in the name of your KBA into the “Explore BirdLife International IBAs/KBAs” search bar.

Australia is a leader in the KBA space as BirdLife Australia has fully transitioned to KBAs while many countries are still using the IBAs while referencing the global standard of KBAs. Australia is also well studied, and many branches are conducting regular standardised surveys. For eBird users that want their birding to go into Birdata as a standardised 20-minute, 2 ha survey, we have a user document to guide you through this process. Please email kba@birdlife.org.au for this document.

Importantly, it’s good to remember that if you are doing a targeted survey for a threatened species, that can only be done in Birdata. For example, if you are doing a survey for the Swift Parrot, or Glossy Black-Cockatoos, or for the Southwest Black-Cockatoo Recovery Program, do these in Birdata.