Botswana Tickbird

Botswana Tickbird is now available on-line to capture bird observations recorded in Botswana. This system aims to collect data from both local observers and visiting tourists, with an emphasis on empowering citizen scientists and community monitoring groups. It will also collect data for conservation work and provide a strong focus for birders and birding groups. 

Botswana Tickbird is part of the Worldbirds global programme - a joint initiative brought to you by BirdLife, the RSPB and Audubon, linking together existing and new Internet systems to collect and report on bird populations and movements in different countries around the world.

This new initiative enables users to store and manage their own observations, extract reports and view, print or download maps. Log on to http://www.worldbirds.org/v3/botswana.php and register your personal details and explore different locations; find out what birds have been seen and when/where they were recorded. As well as contributing your own observations, you will be able to view other people's records, which may influence your next birding trip. Use the checklists to keep track of your sightings.

We would like to invite all individuals interested in birds to support Botswana Tickbird by getting involved and submitting their records. Botswana Tickbird will provide valuable information on bird species at Important Bird Areas (IBAs). More broadly, data collected through all Worldbirds systems will contribute significantly to common bird monitoring, through tracking changes in species represented on birders’ daylists.  Worldbirds data will become a key source of information from which we can develop indicators for common bird species. These will then help indicate changes in the conditions of the wider environment. 

In the next few months, there are lots of exciting plans for Botswana Tickbird.  The Worldbirds team will be improving the design of the overall system, enhancing existing functionality, sourcing improved mapping - including possible links to Google Earth and integration with the World Bird Database (WBDB) enabling users to move easily between Worldbirds, and BirdLife’s species and sites (i.e. IBA) data.

We very much look forward to your participation and hope that Botswana Tickbird will be a great success, both in strengthening the BirdLife Partnership and provide much needed information on the state of the birds throughout Botswana.

Please click here for a checklist of Birds of Southern Africa