Date: 12/31/25 2:11 pm From: Lawrence Gardella via groups.io <lfgardella...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Long-eared Owl
I agree with everything that Mason said. As much as I would have loved to
see the owl, I have no problem with the site being kept hidden for some
period of time.
In this instance, it is quite clear that the Long-eared Owl is gone. It is
exceedingly unlikely that one will ever show up again at Railroad Park.
There is no need for this record to still be hidden as sensitive.
Larry Gardella
Daphne
On Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 3:59 PM Mason Currier via groups.io <masonacurrier=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> For everyone’s info-here’s info and guidance from ebird for species
> they’ve labeled “sensitive” like Long-eared Owls.
>
> “How should eBirders report sensitive species? Report the observation in
> eBird where the record will be protected from exploitation and still help
> inform research and conservation for the species.
> However, we ask eBirders observing any of the species on our Sensitive
> Species List to use discretion in sharing sightings via other public
> platforms (e.g., Facebook, WhatsApp, webpages, listservs, etc.). Revealing
> site-level records exposes the birds to risk from professional bird
> trappers, hunters, and/or pressure by birdwatchers and photographers and
> could cause significant harm to the conservation of these species. We
> recommend that you enjoy your good fortune privately and keep the specific
> location secret from others outside of eBird to help protect the species.”
>
>
> This is just how ebird works, and it’s basic birder etiquette. Most times
> people find species like this, no one finds out. And even if you do report
> it (as said by others) no one else can see any checklists or locations
> related to it. It’s for the good of these species. That’s also why the
> facebook post was taken down. Not to gatekeep, but by the page's moderators
> so that it wouldn’t be overcrowded and scared away. Unfortunately this just
> happened anyway.
>
> These species aren’t the case in general. If people are so concerned about
> getting ASAP news about rare birds, you can also just set up getting hourly
> rare bird alerts or needs alerts on ebird.
>
> Happy New Year Everyone,
> Mason Currier
>
>
>
