FAQs

How does CollinsBirds work?

CollinsBirds is a community website for bird watchers to order and share their sightings and photos, or to simply keep track of what bird's been seen where by others. The site is underpinned by definitive information on bird species from the comprehensive Collins Field Guide series - thousands of birds are described and illustrated for you. When you upload your photos or sightings of birds they will be automatically added to your personal list, relevant checklists or albums and the relevant bird species page. Our satellite sightings map enables you to scan the world for what birds have been seen where and when, as reported by other CollinsBirders. If you want to know the moment a sighting is reported though, you can set up alerts, for sightings of a specific bird or all sightings within a certain location. And if you have seen a bird you are not able to identify, you can submit a description or photo to the Bird Detective to have other CollinsBirders help you work it out. The forum is available for general discussion and great for gathering information on local patches. We've started off the forum with a thread for all the UK counties, but if this doesn't fit your needs then feel free to start up your own local discussion area. CollinsBirds has laid out the tools, now it's over to you to have fun with them!

How much does it cost?

Joining CollinsBirds is absolutely free. We pay the site costs through advertising rather than asking you for money.

Why should I join up?

It's free to join and when you do you will have access to all the great tools on the website to make your birdwatching more rewarding. For example we can help you understand what species of birds have been seen near you by setting up an alert for birds reported in your area. You will be able to use the crowd power of Bird Detective, asking other expert CollinsBirders to help you identify a bird that's puzzling you. And you will be able to set up your own lists of birds you've seen - whether you want that to be for a country or simply birds you've seen in your back garden or in the car. There's lots more too, including photos and being able to list your sightings on a map - so why not try it and see what you think.

I don't live in the UK - can I still join?

Yes CollinsBirds is a global website, with information on all bird species. So we're really keen to have members from across the world joining up so we have bird reports on a global scale.

How do I change my profile details?

If you want to change how your profile displays then visit my account.

How do I cancel my registration?

If you want to cancel your membership of CollinsBirds then visit my account.

How do I report offensive comments or photos?

The site is monitored on a daily basis, but if you happen to come across a photo or comment you find offensive, or think breaks our terms and conditions in any way, please let us know immediately by clicking on the report button next to the relevant photo or comment to draw it to the attention of our moderators.

How do make suggestions about ways to improve CollinsBirds?

We want feedback so we can make Collinsbirds even better for you. If you want to get in touch then please contact us or visit the forum to discuss new ideas with other CollinsBirders.

Why should I report a bird sighting?

This is of interest to conservation bodies such as the BTO, to whom we will be offering reports based on your sightings.

How do I report a sighting?

Every time you see a bird, record it on CollinsBirds by clicking on the Report Sighting button at the top right of every page. You will then be prompted to enter the species name, location and date and to add some descriptive field notes. If you want to you can set up a folder for that sighting to sit in, such as Back Garden or In the Car. That's all you have to do. We will then add the report to your personal sightings lists and tick it off against the relevant local checklist for you. Your report will also appear on the species page for that bird, so that others can see the last recorded sighting (yours!). And finally your sighting will be available for you and other CollinsBirders to see on the sightings map.

How can I report multiple sightings?

At the moment you can only record one sighting at a time because each sighting needs to be plotted on a map. We will be working on phase two soon to enable you to upload your historical sighting records to your personal list on CollinsBirds.

How can I order my sightings and photos?

With hundreds of bird sightings recorded and photos uploaded, your lists would become difficult to organise. So as well as showing you the full list you've reported, or photos you've uploaded, we've enabled you to create your own personal categories, such as My Garden, My Car, My holiday etc. And you can view every category list you have by species, date, location or taxonomic order, to make it easier to find the sighting or photo you want to see.

How can I edit my sightings and photos?

You can edit your sightings at any time by going into one of your full sighting description and clicking on Edit Sighting. From time to time you may realise that thanks to the comments of your fellow CollinsBirders, the bird you reported isn't in fact what you thought it was. Or you may simply want to amend or add to the field notes for the sighting. Whatever the reason, you can change the details on any of your sightings whenever you want.

How can I edit someone else's sighting or photo information?

The short answer is you can't. However, if you feel they have falsely identified a bird, you can add a comment under their sighting or photo. Others who then view the sighting and read the comments will see the question you have raised. The person whose photo or sighting it is will see you have made a comment on their notices page. If they agree with you, they may edit the sighting to change the identification.

How can I upload my photos?

Go to your profile page under Me and select My photos. You will see a button called Upload Photos. Click this and then click on browse. This will show you folders on your PC. Go to where you have saved your photos on your PC, select the photo you want to upload and it will be copied into your CollinsBirds album. You will then be asked to fill in the species name, photo title, location and date. You can also add a few notes against the picture to explain to others or to remind yourself what it is or how you came to take the picture. If you are uploading a photo of a bird you want help identifying, then tick 'unidentified bird'. This will automatically send the bird to the Bird Detective, where other CollinsBirders will help you out. Check the notices on your profile page to see if anyone has commented on your photo.

How do I add a bird I've seen to country checklists?

We'll do that for you automatically and show you on a bar graph how many you've seen against the total for that regional checklist.

How can I find the species information from Collins Bird Guide books?

You can visit the birds page to find our information on the species you are looking for, or you can run a detailed search.

How can I see the latest sightings of birds I am interested in, or see birds reported in a particular location or timeframe?

You can visit the sightings map and use the filter tabs to see details of the bird you are interested in within a specific location or within a certain time frame. Alternatively, run a search without the map. If you want to be told of sightings that interest you immediately they have been reported you can set up an alert.

How can I see only my sightings?

Look for the My Sightings title on your profile page "Me". You can also use the sightings map and set the people filter to "my sightings".

How can I be sure someone else's bird sighting is not made up?

When members report a bird sighting on CollinsBirds it is cross-referenced with the local approved checklists. If the bird does not appear on the approved checklist it can only be added to the member's personal list, not to the main sightings map or species page. CollinsBirds will check all unusual sightings and may be in touch for further details before the bird is added.

How do I find other people on the site who live near me?

Visit the people section of the site and see who lives near you. From there you can write them a note on their wall, add them as a friend, or simply view their sightings and photos.

How do I make friends on Collins Birds?

You can send a request to anyone on CollinsBirds to become friends. When they accept you will see them in your friends list. Then when either of you add a sighting, upload a photo or make a comment it will be reported in the notices section of your profile.

Why should I make friends with other CollinsBirders?

If you make friends with likeminded people on CollinsBirds you will see their new comments, sightings and photos appear in the news feed on your profile page - this is a handy shortcut to keep track of what they've been up to and what they've seen, especially if they live near you, or if you both share an interest a particular species.

Where can I go just to chat to people?

The forum is a great place to chat, be it about favourite bird watching spots, useful kit, or general discussion. You'll find the forum is divided into a sections, including a discussion on birds for every UK County, so it's always worth dipping into your local thread to see what's been going on. Within these predefined threads, feel free to make the forum your own and start any discussion you like.

What do the numbers next to my profile mean?

The numbers next to your user name are the total bird sightings you have recorded on CollinsBirds.

I have seen a bird or have a photo of a bird and need help identifying it.

Bird Detective will help you here. You can submit a photo, sketch, or just describe a sighting and let other CollinsBirders help you identify what you've seen. If you think you might know what it is, then make up to three suggestions and see how the community votes on them. The community can also suggest likely alternatives for you. Remember you can always double check birds in the species pages, where you'll find excellent illustrations, drawn with the specific intention of helping you to identify birds in the field. Once you or other CollinsBirders have worked out what a mystery bird is, you can go back and edit your sighting or photo. Instead of ticking unidentified bird, just tick identified. This will remove it from Bird Detective and add it to your sightings list, the relevant species page and the main Sightings Map for you, as well as ticking it off on the relevant local checklist.

I have heard a bird but need help identifying it.

If you are uncertain what bird you've heard then search birds for a few likely possibilities and check to see if it has an audio clip. If not, you can still look at the phonetic descriptions of the bird's call on each species page, which will help you judge whether it was the bird you heard or not.

How do I help others identify birds?

You can do this by visiting the Bird Detective regularly to see what mystery sightings and photos have been added by stumped CollinsBirders. Then you can vote on one of the options they may have suggested, or add a totally different suggestion as to what it may be. You can also write a comment on the sighting or photo to explain what you believe it to be and why.

What is the source of your local checklist information?

The local checklists derive from Clements' Birds of The World: A Checklist.

What is the source of your species page information?

The bird names and taxonomy derive from Clements' Birds of The World: A Checklist. The field notes and illustrations derive from the Collins Field Guide series.