A brightly colored Western Tanager with a vivid orange-red head and yellow body perches among dark purple berries and green leaves on a bushy branch. The bird is facing left, partially obscured by the foliage.
UC Davis researchers found that seasonal bird patterns are reliably reflected in citizen science data from iNaturalist and eBird for species including the California Scrub-Jay, Bufflehead, and Western Tanager (pictured). (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Eisen)

Can Citizen Science be Trusted? New Study of Birds Shows it Can

  • by Liana Wait

Platforms such as iNaturalist and eBird encourage people to observe and document nature, but how accurate is the ecological data that they collect?

In a new study published in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice on March 28, UC Davis researchers show that citizen science data from iNaturalist and eBird can reliably capture known seasonal patterns of bird migration in Northern California and Nevada — from year-round residents such as California Scrub-Jays, to transient migrants such as the Western Tanager and Pectoral Sandpiper.

“This project shows that data from participatory science projects with different goals, observers, and structure can be combined into reliable and robust datasets to address broad scientific questions,” said senior author Laci Gerhart, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Evolution and Ecology. “Contributors to multiple, smaller projects can help make real discoveries about bigger issues.”

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