**6 new species maps have been added**: Pacific/Winter Wren, White-eyed
Vireo, Painted Bunting, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Yellow-throated
Warbler. Understanding patterns of bird occurrence at continental scales has
long been one of eBird's fundamental challenges. Only now, with 42 million
records and ever more thorough coverage nationwide, is this becoming
possible. Ongoing research at the Cornell Lab is currently producing
cutting-edge graphics that we are overjoyed to finally share
here<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/occurrence-maps/occurrence-maps>.
Day-by-day predictions of species occurrence allows these models to shine a
spotlight on the most awe-inspiring of natural spectacles: the ebb and flow
of bird migration.

We are excited to display the preliminary results of our modeling research
using eBird data. These maps, which are called STEM (Spatio-Temporal
Exploratory Model) maps, use eBird stationary and traveling count checklists
that report all species. The location of each checklist is associated with
remotely-sensed information on habitat, climate, human population, and
demographics generating a suite of approximately 60 variables describing the
environment where eBird searches take place. By relating these environmental
variables to observed occurrences, STEM is used to make predictions at
unsampled locations and times.  Models are trained one species at a time.
Following model training, the expected occurrence for that species is
predicted on each of 52 days, one per week throughout 2009, at some 130,000
locations sampled throughout the conterminous US. This massive volume of
information is then summarized on maps, which in many cases reveal novel
information about the annual cycles of North American birds.

These maps showcase the power of eBird – year-round, continental-scale
monitoring of all species. Each species map is displayed with a text
overview of the broad-scale migration patterns, along with an interesting
biological story to consider.

Check out the whole story here:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/ebird-animated-occurrence-maps

This new one is particularly interesting!
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/occurrence-maps/pacific-winter-wren

Kent

Kent McFarland

Conservation Biologist

Vermont Center for Ecostudies

PO Box 420

Norwich, Vermont 05055

<http://www.vtecostudies.org/>
Visit Our Pages: [image:
Facebook]<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Center-for-Ecostudies/56930912454>
[image:
YouTube] <http://www.youtube.com/user/VCE14> [image:
Blogger]<http://vtecostudies.blogspot.com>

****************************************************************
To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html
****************************************************************