| Summary: | eBird is one of the world’s largest databases for ornithological data. eBird uses citizen science data and standardized checklists to log sightings of an array of bird species worldwide. Unusual sightings recorded on eBird are checked by regional professionals to ensure high quality data is being recorded. This data has been used in recent peer-reviewed studies to track species presence, distribution, and community health. There are endless research possibilities for the use of eBird data, one of the salient opportunities being climate change. (Sullivan et al.2009) Climate change has varying affects globally. In North America, forest fires are increasing as summers get warmer and drier, and water levels are rising as glaciers in northern Canada melt. In Mexico, drought is becoming more prevalent and temperatures are predicted to increase by 3-4°C in the next decade. These phenomena have real consequences, not only for humans and native flora and fauna, but also for migratory species that use these habitats for only part of the year. (U.S. Global Change Research Program 2014) Combining eBird data on migratory birds and current knowledge on climate change presents the opportunity to find trends in migration patterns that may be driven by climate change. Here I propose tracking migratory patterns in Vaux’s Swifts using eBird data and comparing these patterns to climate change trends to see if there is a correlation. Literature Cited Sullivan, B.L., C.L. Wood, M.J. Iliff, R.E. Bonney, D. Fink, and S. Kelling. 2009. eBird: a citizen-based bird observation network in the biological sciences. Biological Conservation 142: 2282-2292. U.S. Global Change Research Program. 2014. National Climate Assessment. Accessed on Jan 14. 2019. Accessed form: https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/downloads
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