We are excited to announce an updated, improved County Explorer protocol is now available. As before, the County Explorer project encourages you to find new places to bird throughout your county, or even the entire state! However, we have now introduced “Oregon2020 Birding Hotspot Squares“. These Hotspot squares are distributed throughout Oregon, so there is at least one near you no matter where you live! We challenge you to visit as many Hotspot Squares as you can. Alternatively, you can focus on the “Hot 300 Hotspots” which are more widely distributed.
Hotspot Maps on Oregon Explorer
We have teamed up with Oregon Explorer to make all Oregon2020 Hotspot Squares available on the internet! To explore a map of the Hotspots, visit the Oregon2020 on Oregon Explorer website. For more help on using the Oregon Explorer interface, including printing maps for use in the field, check out our latest tutorial: Navigating and Printing Oregon2020 Maps.
Hotspot Maps on Your Phone
To make navigating to hotspots easier in the field, we have also released an Oregon 2020 Birds app for iPhone and Android. This app uses your phone’s built-in GPS to display a map of Hotspots near you. Search for Hotspots by name, or use the map to find out when you’re within the Hotspot border. Best of all, it’s free! iPhone users can download the app from the App Store, while Android users can download it from Google Play.
Hotspot Maps on eBird
When you are done birding, you’ll find the Oregon2020 Hotspot Squares have already been posted on eBird! Compare your checklists to other birders who have visited the same square.
Don’t forget to register!
If you’re interested in participating in the project, don’t forget to register (it’s free and easy). This information also helps us gauge which counties are being surveyed, and which may need more effort.