Frequently Asked Questions About Your Data
Frequently asked questions about Celebrate Urban Birds online data entry.
- Why do I need to fill out information about habitat for every day that I observe birds?
- I’ve already registered. Why do you need my contact information again?
- I live in Canada, and my postal code doesn’t fit in your postal code field. Why?
- Why are there two species of orioles on the list?
- Why do I have to fill in a “no” if I didn’t see a bird?
- What version of Internet do I need to use in order to complete the online data entry?
- Why should I enter data online?
Why do I need to fill out information about habitat for every day that I observe birds?
Since we are pairing the habitat information with your results, we need to have them entered at the same time. There could have been changes to habitat, perhaps the addition or removal of water, or more or less pavement or bushes could have been chopped down or added. It is important for you to confirm the habitat because we can't know that it is still the same unless you tell us.
(back to top)I’ve already registered. Why do you need my contact information again?
The information you entered when you registered is kept in a separate system from the data in order to keep the data safe.
(back to top)I live in Canada, and my postal code doesn’t fit in your postal code field. Why?
What you need is the Canadian data form! You can download it here.
(back to top)Why are there two species of orioles on the list?
We have participants from across the U.S. and Canada. Baltimore Orioles may be seen in the East and Bullock’s in the West.You have to select a species of Oriole EVEN if you didn't see it. If you did not see an oriole simply choose the species that is commonly seen in your area, and click 'no'. Need help? Please email us at: urbanbirds@cornell.edu or call (607) 254-2455.
Why do I have to fill in a “no” if I didn’t see a bird?
The instructions state: "Record which birds you see in your bird-watching area, as well as the ones you didn't see." This field is required so that our researchers can interpret the data we receive to know if an answer is negative (that is, not seen, which is important because the absence of a bird can mean as much as its presence) or blank (that is, not entered because you are uncertain or forgot). This distinction will affect the results. Since we are collecting information on the birds that you did and did not see, we ask that participants select an oriole species (Baltimore or Bullock’s).
(back to top)What version of Internet do I need to use in order to complete the online data entry?
The Celebrate Urban Birds data entry web pages require either Internet Explorer 6 (or above), Firefox ( 2.0 or above) or equivalent.
(back to top)Why should I enter data online?
