Technological advancements in birdwatching  

Technological advancements in birdwatching  

Technological advancements in birdwatching have fueled this surge in documented sightings. Kaestner said that, in the early days of his birding career, the identification of a bird came down mostly to what he could observe, and the books and reference guides at his disposal. These days, hobbyists with less knowledge and experience can use AI-powered mobile apps to help them identify birds by uploading recordings of their calls. 

"Before, if you didn't have a field guide to that country, and even the most detailed guidebook couldn't tell you about all the variations and vocalizations, you had to be a pretty good birder to know what you were looking at," Kaestner said. "Now with artificial intelligence, an app can tell you which bird is calling with better accuracy than me, in many cases. The technology has really leveled the playing field." 

The ease with which birds can now be photographed and identified online has created something of a double-edged sword for the birding community. Digital cameras democratized access to information previously inaccessible to casual birders, but they have also created the opportunity for individuals to misrepresent their records. 

The fact that a lister has posted a photograph of a bird does not mean the species has been correctly identified. Additionally, it is possible to use image-editing software to remove background details that give away the location or date of an image, thereby supporting false claims. As technology improves, these types of deceptions may be harder to detect. 

Moderating the Community 

Because the birding community is built largely on trust, the question of how heavily sightings should be moderated is an ongoing discussion between competitive listers. Should a bird-watching app like eBird require more evidence before a user's claim of a species is recorded? If so, how much? And is the moderation of sightings on public platforms a worthwhile investment for the broader birding community? 

"It's very difficult, because every piece of new evidence you ask for is extra work," Kaestner said. "A lot of people are birding for fun and don't want to submit themselves to interrogation just because they saw an out-of-the-ordinary bird." 

Moderation can be costly – platforms like eBird are nonprofit and rely on donations and volunteer labor. However, some worry that the lack of regulation and the increasing accessibility of online platforms to inexperienced birders may lead to the degradation of data quality over time. 

The integrity of lists is important for both individual reputations and the scientific value of crowd-sourced data, which is increasingly used to study population distribution, migration patterns and the effects of climate change on birds. 

"If you can't trust the data, it's not useful for science, and at some point, that hurts the birds," he said. 

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Maintaining Faith 

Though Kaestner believes that most hobbyists are honest, he acknowledges that "there are always going to be some bad apples” in any competitive field. Still, he has not lost his faith in the legitimacy of the broader birding community. 

"I trust the vast majority of people," he said. "Maybe that's a naive way to look at it, but I don't want to put the burden of scrutiny and mistrust on all of the casual and beginner birders." 

Kaestner is confident in the validity of his own record, though whether his name will be forever linked to the 10,000-bird milestone, and how that story is told will depend on how closely future birders scrutinize Mann's list. 

"Some people will say I was the first, some people will say Jason was the first, some people will say neither of us," Kaestner said. "And that's okay. In the end, what matters most to me is the experience I had, and the positive impact the birds have had on my life, and hopefully, that I've had a positive impact on them." 

Birding for the Love of it 

Even amid the controversy, Kaestner insists he still harbors no ill will toward his competitors – even those whose sightings are suspect. Birders make mistakes, and occasionally even lie, he said. That doesn't necessarily mean it's out of malice. 

"The thing is, a lot of people may be so enthusiastic, that they convince themselves they saw something they didn't see," he said. "Maybe they just really wanted to see that bird, and then once they've gone home and told all their friends they saw it, they're trapped." 

Competitive birders, he noted, are particularly susceptible to misidentifications. They often travel around the world at a fast pace, visiting areas they are less familiar with and attempting to observe as many birds as possible in a short amount of time. 

The Pressures and Pitfalls of Big Listing in Birding

"Big listers are under a different kind of pressure, there's this incredible time crunch, and they often have to rely on local guides," he said. "They might be visiting a place where they don't speak the language well, and they may see a bird for a few seconds, under less-than-ideal lighting conditions, and they have to completely trust that the guide is right." 

This was perhaps the most difficult part of the 10,000-bird race, he said – traveling so frequently that he barely had time to process his experiences, much less learn from any potential misidentifications. He worries that this kind of competitive environment, with its lack of built-in safety nets, may encourage individuals to exaggerate or even fabricate sightings. 

While the drama around the 10,000-bird record may have dampened Kaestner's spirits temporarily, the experience did not break him. He continues to log birds at a moderate pace, recently adding a few new species to his list, including the endangered orange-necked hill partridge, sighted in Malaysia. He recently returned from an educational birding trip to Brazil, and is planning visits to several other South American countries and India over the next year. 

Birds as the Unifying Factor 

Though competitive birders are focused on their personal lists, the sport has the potential to bring people together. That is especially true with eBird, where millions of birdwatchers around the world share information. 

“I love going back to areas where there are strong local birding communities and connecting with them,” Kaestner said. “There’s so much we can learn from them and help them learn. The birds don't care about our borders; conservation has to be international.” 

It was this love of birds that attracted Kaestner to birding in the first place, and ultimately, he believes, this passion unifies most other birders, despite any disagreement or competition along the way. 

“My parents instilled in me the importance of protecting nature. When I got older, I realized that conservation and birding were compatible,” he said. “The better you understand birds, and where they live, the more effective you can be in protecting them.” 

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Birding as Conservation 

The birding community plays a pivotal role in bird research and conservation, and the ability for hobbyists to accurately log species, as well as track sightings in real-time, is invaluable for science. Data collected by eBird users is used in numerous studies that examine climate change, migration patterns, and the health of bird populations. 

A 2021 study published in the journal Global Change Biology found that 70% of bird species are negatively impacted by extreme weather events, which are becoming more common as a result of climate change. Birding data can help scientists understand the scope of the problem, and track the movement of bird populations as they adapt to these changes. 

"A lot of species are shifting their range as the climate changes," Kaestner said. "This citizen science data gives you the big picture, so you can track where birds are changing, where they're moving from, and what areas we should be most concerned about protecting." 

However, in order for the data to be reliable, the integrity of the lists is critical. This is why the drama around the 10,000-bird record stirred up such controversy – some worried that the event could damage the validity of birding data as a whole. 

One silver lining of the incident is that it put a spotlight on the need for greater transparency, scrutiny, and moderation in the birding community. Though iGoTerra will not be changing its policies, Kaestner says eBird and other science data collection platforms should consider stricter moderation of rare or unusual sightings, for the sake of scientific accuracy. He is optimistic, though, about the future: 

"Overall, what I see happening is a growth in interest in birds," he said. "More people recognize their value, and they're aware of the threats of climate change and habitat loss." 

The Importance of Local Communities 

In addition to contributing to science, birders can also become allies for conservation at the local level. Getting involved in community conservation groups, bird sanctuaries, and bird-banding stations can help protect critical bird habitats in their areas. 

The birding community's support for conservation has also extended to the world of coffee. For generations, most coffee was grown in the sunshine on enormous farms. However, this process led to deforestation that harmed the many bird species that rely on forest habitats for survival. In the 1990s, conservation groups, such as the Smithsonian, began working to convince coffee farmers to transition to shade-grown coffee, which preserves habitats for birds and other species. The effort was a success, and demand for shade-grown coffee now often outstrips supply. 

This push was supported by the birding community, who were eager to do their part to protect birds. Today, many coffee companies proudly advertise their beans as bird-friendly. 

"A lot of the places where these coffee plantations are are biodiversity hot spots. So you're not just protecting birds, you're protecting monkeys, insects, butterflies," Kaestner said. "That's something that any coffee drinker and birdwatcher can do to contribute to conservation, and it doesn't cost you a penny more." 

The Future of Birding 

Kaestner is hopeful for the future of birds as awareness of the biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency continues to grow. He believes the birding community will play a key role in finding ways to protect bird populations and their habitats. 

"Every time you have a new convert, and someone gets excited about birds, that's a potential new advocate for conservation," he said. "People won't try to protect these things if they don't know these things exist." 

What keeps him motivated is the sheer wonder he feels when he has close encounters with birds, whether it's his 1st species or his 10,000th. The allure of these fleeting moments, he says, makes all the travel and the competition worthwhile. 

"Even after all these years, when I'm out in nature, watching something wild and beautiful, something that can fly, I just think, 'How can that be real?' It never gets old for me, I'm still amazed." 

Birding in a Changing World 

Birders must reconcile their passion with the changing realities of a world in ecological crisis. The biodiversity crisis is accelerating, and bird populations are plummeting across the globe. A landmark 2019 study published in the journal Science found that North America has lost nearly 30% of its birds – approximately 3 billion birds – since 1970. The decline is most severe among grassland birds, shorebirds, and migratory species. 

Habitat loss, pesticide use, and collisions with buildings are the leading causes of these declines, while climate change is projected to exacerbate all of these existing threats. Despite concerted conservation efforts, many species are facing an uncertain future. 

The news is grim, but Kaestner believes birders can still find hope in their passion, even as they are faced with these harsh realities. 

“I think birding can be a source of both joy and sadness,” he said. “It’s joyful because birds are beautiful and fascinating, but as you learn more about them you have to confront the very real threat of extinction for many species." 

While the problems facing our planet are enormous, Kaestner insists that individuals can still make a meaningful difference. Birders are a powerful community, and as awareness of the issue grows, that community can be a force for positive change. 

Protecting Birds in Your Backyard 

One way to take action is by advocating for urban habitats that are more bird-friendly. That could mean petitioning for limits to the use of dangerous pesticides, planting native plants, reducing light pollution, or creating backyard feeders and water sources. Even seemingly small actions can make a difference when multiplied across households and communities. 

"We're not going to solve the problems of climate change and biodiversity loss in a day," he said. "But everyone can do a little bit, and collectively, it will add up." 

Birding as a hobby itself can even be a catalyst for this type of engagement. The act of looking for birds forces us to pay closer attention to the natural world, and the changes happening within it. 

"Once you start birding, your ears open up, your eyes open up, and you start to notice so much more of what's happening around you," he said. "You can't help but develop a broader understanding of the environment as one big system." 

Sustainable Adventures 

In addition to local advocacy, birders are also re-evaluating their travel habits to ensure they aren't contributing to the decline of the species they want to protect. The environmental costs of international travel are high, and many competitive birders have large carbon footprints. 

However, there are still ways to see the world and observe beautiful birds in a sustainable way. Kaestner now prioritizes trips to countries with robust ecotourism industries, and seeks out guides who operate ethically and prioritize conservation. He encourages other birders to support birding operations located near nature preserves that protect birds and other wildlife. 

"There are places you can go where local communities are benefiting from the money you spend,” he said. “They may make more money guiding birders than they did cutting down trees.” 

The Joy of Birding 

Despite the challenges bird populations face, and the sometimes contentious nature of competitive birding, the sheer joy of discovery remains at the heart of the hobby for most. Kaestner maintains his sense of wonder, even after logging thousands of rare and remarkable species. He recalls a recent encounter he had with one of his favorite birds, the resplendent quetzal. 

These elusive birds, found in cloud forests of Central America, are renowned for the males' long, shimmering tail feathers. With their brilliant coloration, they appear as characters straight out of a fantastical storybook. 

"They're shy birds, so it can be hard to get a good view of them. I always consider it a special privilege when you can get a look at one, up high in the canopy,” he said. “Their feathers have this iridescent green and incredible red chest. They look like they're from another world.” 

Encounters like this help to sustain Kaestner's passion for birds decades after he first picked up binoculars as a child. Whether he’s trekking through dense jungle or observing common birds around his neighborhood, he still finds immense satisfaction in the quiet act of observation. 

"The fact that you have to put in some effort to go and find birds is a big part of the reward," he said. "It feels like a treasure hunt, and when you finally see what you've been looking for, even if it's an ordinary bird, it's incredibly exhilarating." 

Birding for Everyone 

While the competitive side of birding may not be for everyone, there is a wide range of ways to embrace the hobby, with all levels of commitment welcome. One of the fastest ways to get started is simply to install a feeder and watch the birds that come to your backyard. 

"Anyone can put up a feeder, download one of the apps, and start to learn the birds that come to your window," he said. "Birding is about noticing the details and appreciating even the most common birds around you, whether it's the way a pigeon struts around town or the way a sparrow builds its nest." 

Birding doesn't have to be an isolated hobby either. There are local birdwatching clubs and groups all over the world, offering opportunities to connect with other birders from a variety of experience levels. Guided walks, bird-watching excursions, and annual bird-counting events can bring people together and build community. 

While there will always be a few who try to cheat the system, these incidents needn't overshadow the countless positive aspects of the hobby. Most birders are eager to share information, resources, and their love for birds with newcomers. 

A Hopeful Legacy 

Ultimately, Kaestner sees competitive birding as just a small subset of the diverse, global birding community. His experience with the controversy surrounding the 10,000-bird record hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for the hobby itself, or for his role in promoting conservation. 

He plans to continue his advocacy and education work, and hopes that he can inspire others to fall in love with birds, regardless of how many species they see. He wants his legacy to be more focused on the impact he's had on the natural world, rather than his personal birding numbers. 

"As I get older, and as I've had the opportunity to work with more young people, I realize my future is really about them,” he said. "What's going to give me the most satisfaction is not the number on my list, but that I helped to inspire a new generation of birders and conservationists."