Ruth,

I'm glad you asked this question as I've heard it from a few others as
well. This may be a good time to start a discussion on subspecies
reporting.

eBird is a powerful tool for collecting data and turning those data into
meaningful inferences about bird populations. The insights gained from
eBird are only as good as the data that go in. While people most commonly
report bird species to eBird, you can report individuals of just about
every taxonomic level. My guidance to birders is to make reports based on
your level of experience and the quality of the observation.

I'll provide an example. If you observe a large soaring bird in the
distance but don't get many field marks on it, perhaps eBirding it as
"diurnal raptor sp." is the best bet. If you can tell based on shape,
flight, and personal experience that it was a buteo genus hawk, eBird it as
"buteo sp.". If you get a good look at a rusty tail and dark patagial
marks, you might confidently eBird it as a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo
jamaicensis). Now, if you've studied your Red-tailed Hawk subspecies and
get a good look at an overwintering one with a dark, nearly black appearing
chin, heavy belly band with large and globular streaks, you might be
justified in eBirding it as a Northern Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola) (Buteo
jamaicensis abieticola). Here is an article  if you are interested in
Red-tailed Hawk subspecies:

https://ebird.org/vt/news/red-tailed-hawks-recognizing-subspecies-in-vermont

Sometimes birds are better left at higher levels, such as genus or family,
when the quality of the observation is poor or when you just don't have
experience/confidence with a certain group of birds.

eBird gives the option to report subspecies, and many regularly occurring
subspecies are listed when you start a new checklist. I encourage people to
follow the guidance above. If you have studied the subspecies and feel
confidence with your observation, feel free to report it and document it
appropriate. We should not assume, however, that we are always seeing the
most commonly occurring subspecies. I often hear/see the phrase "default
subspecies", which to me signals that people are not truly identifying the
bird to a certain subspecies, but are making an assumption.

When a species or subspecies is flagged for review, as the White-breasted
Nuthatch subspecies are, they show up on the alerts. I encourage folks who
are interested in reporting subspecies to study them well and document them
thoroughly in eBird. There are quite a few here in Vermont, including some
that may someday be their own species (i.e. Eastern/Western Palm Warbler,
Eastern/Western Willet).

I'd love to hear what other folks have to say about subspecies reporting as
well.

Zac Cota
eBird Reviewer

On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 6:28 PM Ruth Stewart <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> What's the story on the WBNU showing up on the rare-bird alert?
>
> Ruth Stewart
> E. Dorset, VT
>


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Zacheriah T. Cota-Weaver
175 Depot Street
Hyde Park, VT 05655
(802) 696-8613 cell
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