Central America Big Day 2026 records more than 850 bird species during the regional event
More than 850 species were recorded on eBird from 824 observation lists, while on iNaturalist 445 species were documented through 1,748 observations made by 290 photographers
The second edition of Central America Big Day brought together hundreds of birdwatchers, with the participation of photographers, journalists, and tourism organizations from Central America and the Dominican Republic who supported the event. During the event, numerous high-value birdwatching sites were documented, reinforcing the region's position as a key destination for birdwatching.
The results of Big Day are recorded on two citizen science platforms, eBird and iNaturalist. Both offer free mobile apps that facilitate the collection of bird data directly in the field.
On each platform, the results are continuously updated and can be accessed through online reports. On eBird, results are measured by the number of species reported and by the number of observation lists. An observation list is a record of the species identified by one or more observers using eBird to document the results of their birdwatching trips.
On iNaturalist, results are measured by the number of species photographed, the number of observations (an observation corresponds to a photographed bird), and the number of observers (photographers or naturalists). iNaturalist users have the option to upload their observations without specifying the species, as the platform provides automatic species recognition in photos, and a community of millions of naturalists collaborates to verify the identifications. It's a system that connects observers with experts worldwide and facilitates learning about the observed species.
Source: CATA.