'Citizen scientists' map China's avian landscape

From social media to field

Liu from Sun Yat-sen University said that the CBBS project team has focused on designing a standardized survey method, training volunteers, promoting the initiative through social media, and creating a platform to enable expansion to more cities in the future.

"In one city, a local bird-watching society might lead the survey; in another, a university research team; or it could be part of a broader survey by the local forestry department," Liu said. "By involving diverse partners, we can potentially reduce funding needs and expand the survey to more cities after three years, ultimately developing it into a long-term project."

During the meeting, Liang Zhijian, a doctoral student from Liu's research team, introduced the breeding bird surveys conducted in other countries. More than 30 countries are conducting similar surveys, he said. In the US, after 60 years of development, more than 5,000 transect lines have been mapped out, covering the whole country, and each year the survey involves more than 2,500 volunteers. In Europe, the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme recently updated its indices based on 168 species across 30 countries.

He said that CBBS data can support the update of China's Red List of Birds, help explore the reasons for changes in bird populations, assess the effectiveness of conservation actions and serve as an indicator of environmental health, "helping to keep common birds common".

Ren Xichan, one of Liu's doctoral students, introduced the project team's efforts to promote the CBBS through social media platforms. Over 100 articles about the survey have been published on these platforms, reaching tens of thousands of readers. Additionally, more than 3,000 people have viewed the project's online lectures, he said.

"When I met our volunteers, I realized that many of them lacked general knowledge about birdwatching and bird identification,"Liu said. "This drove us to launch open lectures aimed not only at training our volunteers but also at supporting a broader community of bird enthusiasts."

On the afternoon of March 14, a round-table discussion session was held, with participants sharing their insights on organizing volunteers and enhancing their sense of engagement.

Lei Jinyu, the secretary-general of the Rosefinch Center, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting bird-watching and conservation, emphasized the importance of volunteer training and suggested establishing a certification system for volunteer surveyors. "Due to a shortage of qualified volunteers, the survey should focus on urban areas," he said. "It should prioritize the continuity of the survey over its coverage."

Shen You, president of the Chengdu Bird Watching Society and a participant in last year's CBBS, observed that the survey volunteers derived more satisfaction from being part of a citizen science initiative than from the bird-watching itself. "We should consider organizing more gatherings for volunteers to foster a sense of community and camaraderie," he said.

Professor Liu announced that Foshan and Dongguan in Guangdong will join the survey this year, and that several other cities, such as Xiamen in Fujian province, Wuhan in Hubei province and Qingdao in Shandong province, are considering participating as well.

He Fenqi, a renowned ornithologist, remarked at the meeting, "If the survey continues for 10 years, I believe the results will be truly remarkable."