Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center spend days or weeks at a time in remote field camps. Many researchers maintain daily checklists of all bird species they see during their primary field work and while at camp. These checklists provide documentation of the presence, distribution, timing of arrival and departure, and breeding chronology of species at each field camp.  

In 2021, a graphic design student from Texas, worked with the USGS through the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) program to create a graphic that displays how researchers collect, process, and release the USGS bird species data to the public. Additional students and seasonal employees assisted with data management for this project. Their data management work helped to make these data publicly accessible. 

The Alaska Science Center has arranged the bird checklist data by geographic region. The datasets use standard data and metadata formats based on the eBird database. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology hosts eBird. The public can access the data from the USGS as text tables with metadata or through the online eBird portal.

• Graphic: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/intern-designs-graphic-showing-how-usgs-collects-and-releases-bird-species-checklist  

• Data Release: https://doi.org/10.5066/P950QX28 

• Project Description: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center/science/bird-species-checklists-usgs-alaska-science-center-field#overview  

• eBird Portal: https://ebird.org