Fwd: [eBird Alert] Arapahoe County Rare Bird Alert <daily>

[Gary Brower]

Why in the world is this a “rare bird”?  How far out of the “normal” time frame are we?

Gary Brower

Unincorporated Arapahoe County

Begin forwarded message:

From: ebird...@birds.cornell.edu

Subject: [eBird Alert] Arapahoe County Rare Bird Alert <daily>

Date: July 18, 2025 at 6:37:11 PM MDT

To: grb...@gmail.com

*** Species Summary:

- Yellow-breasted Chat (auricollis) (4 reports)

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Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> Arapahoe County Rare Bird Alert.  The report below shows observations of rare birds in Arapahoe County.  View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN38012
NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.

eBird encourages our users to bird safely, responsibly, and mindfully. Please follow the recommendations of your local health authorities and respect any active travel restrictions in your area. For more information visit: https://ebird.org/news/please-bird-mindfully

Yellow-breasted Chat (auricollis) (Icteria virens auricollis) (4)
- Reported Jul 18, 2025 07:45 by Julia Gwinn
- South Platte Park--C470 area, Arapahoe, Colorado
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=39.570896,-105.0411201&ll=39.570896,-105.0411201
- Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S260867649
- Comments: "Heard and seen perched on shrub beside reservoir."

Yellow-breasted Chat (auricollis) (Icteria virens auricollis) (4)
- Reported Jul 18, 2025 07:45 by Matthew Carmody
- South Platte Park--C470 area, Arapahoe, Colorado
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=39.570896,-105.0411201&ll=39.570896,-105.0411201
- Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S260884572
- Comments: "Heard and seen perched on shrub beside reservoir."

Yellow-breasted Chat (auricollis) (Icteria virens auricollis) (4)
- Reported Jul 18, 2025 07:45 by Marjorie Middleton
- South Platte Park--C470 area, Arapahoe, Colorado
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=39.570896,-105.0411201&ll=39.570896,-105.0411201
- Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S260884262
- Comments: "Heard and seen perched on shrub beside reservoir."

Yellow-breasted Chat (auricollis) (Icteria virens auricollis) (4)
- Reported Jul 18, 2025 07:45 by Colby Karnei
- South Platte Park--C470 area, Arapahoe, Colorado
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=39.570896,-105.0411201&ll=39.570896,-105.0411201
- Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S260892218
- Comments: "Heard and seen perched on shrub beside reservoir."

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[Diana Beatty]

It looks like a subspecies was denoted and that is likely what triggered the filter.

Diana Beatty

El Paso County 

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[Gary Brower]

That would make (some sort of) sense.  So all four listers noticed this?

Thanks!

Gary Brower

Unincorporated Arapahoe County

[Diana Beatty]

Presumably a shared checklist.  One person made the list and shared it with the others.

[Gary Brower]

Yes, clearly.

But, I wonder (and this is an eBird question) if this kind of data skews the overall records collection? I.e., were all four reporters agreed on the ID of the rarity?

Gary Brower

Unincorporated Arapahoe County

[David Suddjian]

eBird encourages reporting to subspecies when it is warranted. Subspecies auricollis is the expected form for our region, with ssp virens occurring further east in CO. But the question is (and thus the filtered status for a reviewer to consider) whether the subspecies was actually identified based on criteria (I haven't looked at the report).  Some subspecies or eBird forms and groups can be readily discerned in the field. Others require some expert knowledge to recognize. Still others would be hard to confirm from most field sightings other than assuming they were of the expected subspecies. For example, for Spotted Towhee eBird offers the "Spotted Towhee (maculatus group)" as an option. It is the expected form in our region. But how many birders reporting it are actually aware of its distinguishing features, much less critically viewing towhees reported as that form. If you don't know how to distinguish which form you are looking at, then it is sort of a self fulfilling thing to report the sighting to a subspecific form or group. But I don't know the situation for the chat reports you are asking about.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGTsytFuqhb500EqGkk6azO-S5u3ATojkWY0uhYtxZKsg08xBg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Diana Beatty]

It is my understanding that eBird protocol is to only identify to subspecies when one has specifically identified it as such, and never as an assumption based upon location.  It would be good  practice to include comments when identifying to subspecies denoting the evidence used to determine subspecies.  This can help differentiate between a subspecies ID and someone simply not noticing they clicked on a tally line that includes subspecies vs. One that doesn't.

Since there were no comments on those checklists, at least so far, for the matter indicated, we and eBird reviewers do not know which scenario happened without speculation and additional knowledge such as the likelihood of that subspecies and possibility of it being IDed in the circumstances of the observation.  Thus, it comes up in flags and some kind of reviewer action is likely warranted.

Diana Beatty
El Paso