Get Involved
Participation Period
The Global Shorebird Counts takes place annually between 1–7 September, including World Shorebirds Day on 6 September. Participants are encouraged to conduct shorebird observations and submit checklists during any day or multiple days within this counting period.
Who Can Participate?
The Global Shorebird Counts is open to everyone, including experienced birdwatchers, researchers, photographers, students, conservation groups, local communities, and anyone interested in shorebirds and wetlands.
Participation can range from simple observational checklists to organised shorebird surveys covering larger wetland or coastal areas.
Recommended Observation Method
Participants are encouraged to visit wetlands, beaches, estuaries, mudflats, reservoirs, saltmarshes, rice fields, sewage ponds, lagoons, or other habitats used by shorebirds. Carefully identifying and counting all shorebird species observed is strongly encouraged, together with estimating numbers as accurately as possible and avoiding disturbance to feeding or roosting birds.
Both stationary counts and travelling counts can provide valuable observations depending on local conditions and survey experience.
eBird Submission
The Global Shorebird Counts strongly encourages all participants to submit their observations through eBird, managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
eBird provides one of the world’s largest biodiversity databases and allows shorebird observations contributed during the counts to support broader research and conservation efforts.
When submitting observations to eBird, participants are encouraged to:
- Create separate checklists for each survey location whenever possible
- Use accurate locations and coordinates
- Include complete checklists whenever practical
- Record observation duration and distance travelled
- Add count estimates for all observed shorebird species
- Upload photographs or sound recordings if available
- Include notable behaviour or habitat observations in checklist comments when relevant
Share Your Checklists
Participants are encouraged to share their shorebird checklists with World Shorebirds Day through eBird. Shared checklists help demonstrate global participation in the Global Shorebird Counts while contributing to a broader understanding of shorebird observations across different regions and flyways.
To share a checklist, use the following eBird username:
worldshorebirdsday
Checklist sharing can be done directly from both the eBird website and the eBird mobile app. Participants using the mobile app can add World Shorebirds Day as an eBird contact and share observations directly from the field.
If you are unfamiliar with checklist sharing, eBird provides a simple step-by-step tutorial explaining the process.
Important eBird Recommendations
Participants are encouraged to:
- Avoid combining observations from multiple distant locations into a single checklist
- Avoid using excessively broad hotspot areas when surveying only a small section
- Submit observations as accurately and transparently as possible
- Prioritise data quality over high species totals
Even short local surveys can provide valuable information when repeated consistently over time.
Photographs and Documentation
Participants are encouraged to share:
- Photographs
- Field experiences
- Educational activities
- Local conservation stories
- Shorebird observations
through social media and community platforms connected to World Shorebirds Day.
Citizen Science and Conservation
The Global Shorebird Counts is not only about counting birds. The initiative aims to encourage long-term engagement with shorebirds and their habitats while helping participants better understand migration, wetland ecology, population changes, and the conservation challenges affecting shorebirds worldwide.
Every checklist contributes to a broader global picture built through the collective efforts of participants across different regions and flyways.