eBird checklist evidence
LikelyBird uses eBird checklist information as structured observation evidence. A checklist records more than a species name: it can also describe where and when someone birded, the observation protocol, the effort involved and whether the list was complete.
Birding happens unevenly. People tend to visit accessible, familiar or well-known places, and conditions such as time of day, weather and survey effort affect what can be detected.
A map of reported sightings therefore tells only part of the story. LikelyBird interprets checklist evidence alongside the conditions under which it was collected.
Species report
Whether a species was recorded on that checklist.
Completeness
Whether the observer indicated that all species detected were reported.
Survey effort
Protocol, duration, distance travelled and number of observers.
Place and time
Location, date and timing, linked to environmental and seasonal context.
Key checklist fields
Links an observation to season, daily activity and changing conditions.
Connects evidence to habitat, landscape and broader spatial context.
Duration, distance and observer numbers help describe the survey itself.
Determines whether an unreported species can be treated as a possible non-detection.
Detection and non-detection
When a checklist is marked complete, a species that was not reported can provide inferred non-detection evidence. That evidence is informative, but its weight depends on checklist quality, detectability and the species' ecological context.
An incomplete checklist can still provide a positive record when a species is reported. A species not listed, however, is treated as unknown rather than absent.
How the evidence is handled
Checklist information is not reduced to a single quality score. It is retained in auditable components that can be checked, revised and explained as the project develops.
Survey Information Layer
Brings checklist context together for audit, modelling weights and downstream joins.
Checklist Quality Layer
Represents observer, effort and checklist-quality information that can affect the interpretation of records.
Weather Detectability Layer
Records weather-related conditions that may affect whether a bird is detected and reported.
Temporal Detectability Layer
Captures time-of-day, solar timing and seasonal observation effects.
Data safety
LikelyBird is designed to publish explanations, derived predictions and public-safe summaries. Observation detail, links to records or precise locations would only be included where appropriate approvals, data-governance arrangements and species safeguards allow.
