Date: 2/8/26 11:22 am From: Kurt Radamaker via groups.io <kurtradamaker...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] Species Compare Tool
# eBird Hotspot Species Comparison Tool
## How It Works
**eBird Hotspot Species Comparison** is an interactive mapping tool that helps birders discover what species they might find at different locations and identify target birds to look for.
### Getting Started
When you load the page, you'll see:
- A map displaying bird observation hotspots as **green points**
- County centers as **black points** (when enabled)
- A control panel on the top-left with filtering options
### Map Controls
**State Selector**
- Choose any US state, Mexico, or view all US states at once
- The map automatically updates to show hotspots in your selected region
**Hotspot Activity (days)**
- Filter hotspots by recent birding activity (3-30 days)
- Shows only locations that have been visited recently
**Min Hotspot Species Count**
- Filter hotspots by total species diversity
- Choose from 0 (all hotspots) up to 500+ species
- Helps you find the most productive birding locations
**Show Counties Checkbox**
- Toggle county center points on/off
- ⚠️ Note: Loading counties is slow due to the large number of API requests
### Comparing Locations
**The main feature: Click any two points to compare species lists**
1. **Click your first location** (either a green hotspot or black county)
- A red marker appears
2. **Click your second location**
- A blue marker appears
- A popup automatically displays showing:
- Species in Location 1 NOT in Location 2
- Species in Location 2 NOT in Location 1
3. **Understanding the Results**
- Each species name is clickable and links to eBird species pages
- Exotic/introduced species are automatically filtered out
- Results help you plan which location to visit for target birds
### Map Features
**Hover to Preview**
- Hover over any point to see its name and details
- No need to click unless you want to compare
**Home Button**
- Returns you to the main maps page (bottom-right)
**Reset Button**
- Clears all selection markers and reloads the map (bottom-right)
**Basemap Selector**
- Change the map style (streets, satellite, terrain, etc.)
- Bottom-right corner
### Use Cases
- **Trip Planning**: Compare two nearby hotspots to decide where to bird
- **Target Species**: Find which location has birds you need for your county/state list
- **County vs Hotspot**: Compare an entire county's species list against a specific hotspot
- **State Comparisons**: See what species are in one state but not another
### Technical Notes
- Data is live from eBird's API
- Hotspot data updates based on recent activity
- County loading uses parallel requests for faster performance (but still takes time)
- All exotic/introduced species are excluded from comparisons for cleaner results
**Happy Birding!** 🐦
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*Copyright - Kurt Radamaker*
