How species are categorized

Species are grouped based on how often they have been recorded in Essex County since 1990. This provides a more meaningful measure of rarity than a simple “rare / common” label.

• One Record – recorded only once (year shown)
• Exceptional / Very Rare – recorded only a handful of times
• Rare / Uncommon – seen occasionally over the years
• Common – recorded regularly

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“Seen X / Y years”

Each species shows how many years it has been recorded out of the total number of years in the dataset. For example:

• 36 / 36 years → recorded every year
• 3 / 36 years → recorded very infrequently

Data is most complete from 1990 onwards, so this range is used consistently across all species.

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Regions

• Essex – all records across Essex County
• Pelee Birding Area – restricted to the Pelee Birding Area
• Point Pelee NP – restricted to Point Pelee National Park

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Time of Year

Filter species by season to see when they are typically recorded.

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Live Reporting

Some species include a Report Sighting button.

This feature allows birders in the field to quickly save:

• Species name
• Date and time
• GPS coordinates
• Location accuracy

Reports are designed to work even without cell service and are stored locally on your device until they can be uploaded.

The copied coordinates can then be pasted directly into Discord, Whatsapp, etc.. and sent out to alerts others once a signal is re-established, with the time and coordinates intact.

Note:You must opt-in to report sightings to the map. Live reporting is currently limited to selected birding areas during testing. Reporting areas indicate where live bird reporting is enabled and do not imply public access. Users are responsible for ensuring they are legally present at any location from which a sighting is reported and must respect private property, park regulations, conservation area rules, posted restrictions, and all applicable laws. The location of a reported sighting does not imply that a bird is currently present or that access to the location is permitted. Essex Birds does not grant access rights or verify land ownership.

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Tip

Click any species to view detailed information including record dates, seasonal patterns, and photos. All photos on the site were taken in Essex County.