Traveling Birder v8.0 - Route-Based Birding Planner

Plan your trip to find target birds

Plan smarter birding trips by discovering which species you haven't seen — and exactly where they've been spotted recently. Best used to plan trips ahead of time.

🔍 How Traveling Birder Search Works

📡 eBird API Limitations

Search Radius: Maximum 50 km (31 miles) per search
Time Range: Configurable from 1 day to 1 year
Default: 7 days for sightings, 30 days for hotspots

🔄 Our Workarounds

Routes & Large Areas: Multiple overlapping 31-mile searches every 20 miles for complete coverage
Life List: Import your complete eBird CSV for full history
Time Range: Adjustable from 7 days to 1 year for each search type

📊 Performance

Short routes (<50 mi): Instant
Long routes (200+ mi): 30-60 seconds
Very long routes (1000+ mi): 2-3 minutes
Top eBirders: 5-10 seconds (11 API calls)

🎯 Why You Might Not See Expected Birds

1. Time Range: Default searches show last 7 days. Use the Time Range dropdown to see older sightings (up to 1 year).

2. Search Radius: Default is 15 miles for area search, 25 miles for species search. Increase up to 31 miles max (eBird API limit).

3. eBird Data Coverage: We only show birds reported to eBird. Remote areas may have sparse data.

4. Target List Filter: If using Year List filter and seeing too many targets, the matching might be off - try Life List filter instead.

5. Subspecies/Forms: eBird reports like "Muscovy Duck (Domestic type)" may not match your "Muscovy Duck" record. We normalize names but edge cases exist.

6. API Rate Limits: eBird may throttle requests for very large searches. If search fails, try smaller areas or wait a few minutes.

💡 Pro Tips for Best Results

✅ Upload eBird ZIP File: Go to ebird.org/downloadMyData, download your complete data as ZIP. This auto-generates regional lists.

✅ Auto-Generated Lists: World, US, state lists, ABA Area, and Lower 48 are automatically created from your ZIP.

✅ Year List Filter: Filter to show only birds you haven't seen THIS YEAR as targets.

✅ Use Date Filter: Filter your list by date range for "decade lists" or trip-specific searches.

✅ Region Boundaries: Check "Region boundaries only" for county/state searches to stay within political borders.

✅ Hotspots: Top 10 Hotspots show locations with the most species reported in last 30 days.

✅ Adjust Time Ranges: Use longer ranges (30 days, 6 months) for uncommon species.

🦩 Traveling Birder v8.0 | Powered by eBird and Google Maps

Questions or feedback? [email protected]

📥 Bird Lists Manager

⭐ Recommended: Upload Your Full eBird Data (ZIP)

Upload your complete eBird data export ZIP file. This includes all your observations with dates, locations, and can automatically generate life lists and regional lists.

Go to ebird.org/downloadMyData
Click "Request my observations"
Wait for email (usually a few minutes)
Download the ZIP file and upload it here

─── OR upload individual CSV files ───

✅ Option 2: Upload Individual CSV Files

Your World Life List must be uploaded before any regional lists. This is your complete birding history and serves as the baseline for all target filtering.

Go to ebird.org/downloadMyData
Leave "Region" set to "World" (or don't select any region)
Download and upload that CSV here first

⚠️ CSV Limitation: The eBird life list CSV only includes the most recent sighting date for each species, not your full observation history. This means date filtering (year lists, trip reports) won't work accurately. For full date support, use the ZIP upload option above.

📍 Step 3 (Optional): Upload Regional Lists

Your World Life List shows your most recent sighting location for each species, not all locations where you've seen it. To accurately search for targets in a specific region (state, county, country), download a separate regional list from eBird for that area.

📋 Your Uploaded Lists

No lists uploaded yet. Start by uploading your World Life List!

➕ Upload Individual CSV

List Type:

💡 World Life List: Download from ebird.org/downloadMyData → Select "Life List"

📥 How to Download Regional Lists from eBird:

Go to ebird.org/downloadMyData
Under "Region", select the specific region (Country, State, or County)
Click "Download" to get the CSV
Upload here and tag with the matching region

🔒 Privacy: All lists are processed and stored locally on your device. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

📋 Terms of Use & Privacy

TRAVELING BIRDER - TERMS OF USE

Last Updated: December 20, 2025

1. YOUR DATA & PRIVACY

Your life list data is stored locally on YOUR device only
We do NOT upload, store, or access your personal birding data
We do NOT sell or share your information with third parties
Your eBird API key is stored securely in your browser's localStorage
All data processing happens entirely on your device
No cookies are used for tracking purposes

2. EBIRD API USAGE

This app uses the eBird API to fetch bird observation data
eBird API has a 30-day limitation for recent observations (eBird policy)
You can import your full CSV from eBird for complete historical data
All API usage follows eBird's Terms of Service
eBird data is owned by Cornell Lab of Ornithology

3. GOOGLE MAPS

This app uses Google Maps for route planning and visualization
Google Maps usage is subject to Google's Terms of Service
Location searches and directions are processed by Google

4. NO WARRANTY

This app is provided "as is" for birding assistance
We are not responsible for missed birds or inaccurate data
eBird data may have gaps, errors, or delays
Always verify rare sightings independently before traveling
Bird presence is not guaranteed - conditions change

5. ACCEPTABLE USE

Use this app responsibly and ethically
Respect wildlife and their habitats
Follow local birding ethics and eBird guidelines
Do not disturb nesting birds or sensitive areas
Respect private property and access restrictions

6. CONTACT & SUPPORT

Questions or feedback: [email protected]
Report issues via GitHub or email
We respect your privacy and will never share your information

🦩 Traveling Birder

Plan your trip to find target birds

Map Legend

Everything you need to plan better birding trips

Route Planning

Target Species

Top Hotspots

Recent Checklists

Google Maps Navigation

Species Reports

Get started in 2 minutes

Download your eBird data

Upload your ZIP file

Start finding birds!

Ready to find your target birds?

Rerouting...

📍 Search Location

⚙️ Search Settings

🔍 Search Specific Species

Map Legend

🎯 Target Species

📍 Recent Sightings

📋 Your Bird Lists

📋 Trip Planner

🏆 Top Regional eBirders

🔍 How Traveling Birder Search Works

📡 eBird API Limitations

🔄 Our Workarounds

📊 Performance

🎯 Why You Might Not See Expected Birds

💡 Pro Tips for Best Results

🦩 Traveling Birder

Plan your trip to find target birds

Map Legend

Everything you need to plan better birding trips

Route Planning

Target Species

Top Hotspots

Recent Checklists

Google Maps Navigation

Species Reports

Get started in 2 minutes

Download your eBird data

Upload your ZIP file

Start finding birds!

Ready to find your target birds?

Upload Your eBird Data

Rerouting...

💡 Quick Start Guide

🔍 Search Options

🗺️ Region-Based Searching

📋 Your Bird Lists (Auto-Generated)

📍 Search Location

⚙️ Search Settings

🔍 Search Specific Species

Map Legend

🎯 Target Species

📍 Recent Sightings

📋 Your Bird Lists

📋 Trip Planner

🏆 Top Regional eBirders

🔍 How Traveling Birder Search Works

📡 eBird API Limitations

🔄 Our Workarounds

📊 Performance

🎯 Why You Might Not See Expected Birds

💡 Pro Tips for Best Results

📥 Bird Lists Manager

⭐ Recommended: Upload Your Full eBird Data (ZIP)

📋 Your Uploaded Lists

➕ Upload Individual CSV

📋 Terms of Use & Privacy

TRAVELING BIRDER - TERMS OF USE

1. YOUR DATA & PRIVACY

2. EBIRD API USAGE

3. GOOGLE MAPS

4. NO WARRANTY

5. ACCEPTABLE USE

6. CONTACT & SUPPORT

📊 Search Report