rebird is a package to interface with the eBird webservices.
eBird is a real-time, online bird checklist program. For more information, visit their website: http://www.ebird.org
The API for the eBird webservices can be accessed here: https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/664302/ebird-api-20/2HTbHW
You can install the stable version from CRAN
Or the development version from Github
rebirdLoad the package:
The eBird API server has been updated and thus there are a couple major changes in the way rebird works. API requests to eBird now require users to provide an API key, which is linked to your eBird user account. You can pass it to the ‘key’ argument in rebird functions, but we highly recommend storing it as an environment variable called EBIRD_KEY in your .Renviron file. If you don’t have a key, you can obtain one from https://ebird.org/api/keygen.
You can keep your .Renviron file in your global R home directory (R.home()), your user’s home directory (Sys.getenv("HOME")), or your current working directory (getwd()). Remember that .Renviron is loaded once when you start R, so if you add your API key to the file you will have to restart your R session. See https://csgillespie.github.io/efficientR/r-startup.html for more information on R’s startup files.
Furthermore, functions now use species codes, rather than scientific names, for species-specific requests. We’ve made the switch easy by providing the species_code function, which converts a scientific name to its species code:
The species_code function can be called within other rebird functions, or the species code can be specified directly.
Search for bird occurrences by latitude and longitude point
ebirdgeo(species = species_code('spinus tristis'), lat = 42, lng = -76)
#> American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis): amegfi
#> # A tibble: 45 x 12
#> speciesCode comName sciName locId locName obsDt howMany lat lng
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 amegfi America… Spinus … L447… Binghamt… 2018… 2 42.1 -76.0
#> 2 amegfi America… Spinus … L207… Workwalk 2018… 1 42.1 -75.9
#> 3 amegfi America… Spinus … L495… Binghamt… 2018… 1 42.1 -76.0
#> 4 amegfi America… Spinus … L527… R Tee Go… 2018… 1 42.2 -75.9
#> 5 amegfi America… Spinus … L795… US-New Y… 2018… 7 42.1 -76.0
#> 6 amegfi America… Spinus … L978… Murphys … 2018… 5 42.1 -76.0
#> 7 amegfi America… Spinus … L209… Aquaterr… 2018… 9 42.0 -75.9
#> 8 amegfi America… Spinus … L320… Hillcres… 2018… 1 42.2 -75.9
#> 9 amegfi America… Spinus … L285… Camp Sus… 2018… 1 42.0 -75.9
#> 10 amegfi America… Spinus … L519… IBM Glen… 2018… 3 42.1 -76.0
#> # ... with 35 more rows, and 3 more variables: obsValid <lgl>,
#> # obsReviewed <lgl>, locationPrivate <lgl>Search for bird occurrences by region and species name
ebirdregion(loc = 'US', species = 'btbwar')
#> # A tibble: 1,041 x 12
#> speciesCode comName sciName locId locName obsDt howMany lat lng
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L3572… Cornell… 2018… 2 42.4 -76.5
#> 2 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L7962… Pisgah … 2018… 1 36.2 -81.7
#> 3 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L2785… Kiwanis… 2018… 1 27.0 -82.1
#> 4 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L1109… Enchant… 2018… 3 25.9 -80.2
#> 5 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L7814… Wissahi… 2018… 2 40.1 -75.2
#> 6 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L5987… Codding… 2018… 2 42.3 -76.4
#> 7 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L4023… Home - … 2018… 1 40.2 -75.4
#> 8 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L5862… Indrio … 2018… 1 27.5 -80.4
#> 9 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L1301… Ashland… 2018… 2 39.8 -75.7
#> 10 btbwar Black-t… Setopha… L1877… Pinecra… 2018… 1 27.3 -82.5
#> # ... with 1,031 more rows, and 3 more variables: obsValid <lgl>,
#> # obsReviewed <lgl>, locationPrivate <lgl>Search for bird occurrences by a given hotspot
ebirdregion(loc = 'L99381')
#> # A tibble: 64 x 12
#> speciesCode comName sciName locId locName obsDt howMany lat lng
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 wooduc Wood Duck Aix spon… L993… Stewar… 2018… 4 42.5 -76.5
#> 2 mallar3 Mallard Anas pla… L993… Stewar… 2018… 16 42.5 -76.5
#> 3 ambduc American… Anas rub… L993… Stewar… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 4 rocpig Rock Pig… Columba … L993… Stewar… 2018… 4 42.5 -76.5
#> 5 ribgul Ring-bil… Larus de… L993… Stewar… 2018… 110 42.5 -76.5
#> 6 hergul Herring … Larus ar… L993… Stewar… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 7 lbbgul Lesser B… Larus fu… L993… Stewar… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 8 gbbgul Great Bl… Larus ma… L993… Stewar… 2018… 5 42.5 -76.5
#> 9 doccor Double-c… Phalacro… L993… Stewar… 2018… 118 42.5 -76.5
#> 10 grnher Green He… Butoride… L993… Stewar… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> # ... with 54 more rows, and 3 more variables: obsValid <lgl>,
#> # obsReviewed <lgl>, locationPrivate <lgl>Search for a species’ occurrences near a given latitude and longitude
nearestobs(species_code('branta canadensis'), 42, -76)
#> Canada Goose (Branta canadensis): cangoo
#> # A tibble: 27 x 12
#> speciesCode comName sciName locId locName obsDt howMany lat lng
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 cangoo Canada … Branta … L186… Cheri A.… 2018… 4 42.1 -75.9
#> 2 cangoo Canada … Branta … L207… Workwalk 2018… 26 42.1 -75.9
#> 3 cangoo Canada … Branta … L287… Vestal R… 2018… 49 42.1 -76.0
#> 4 cangoo Canada … Branta … L527… R Tee Go… 2018… 53 42.2 -75.9
#> 5 cangoo Canada … Branta … L728… State Ga… 2018… 23 41.9 -75.7
#> 6 cangoo Canada … Branta … L504… Rt. 12A … 2018… 65 42.2 -75.9
#> 7 cangoo Canada … Branta … L468… "Boland … 2018… 12 42.2 -75.9
#> 8 cangoo Canada … Branta … L285… Camp Sus… 2018… 2 42.0 -75.9
#> 9 cangoo Canada … Branta … L447… Binghamt… 2018… 2 42.1 -76.0
#> 10 cangoo Canada … Branta … L501… William … 2018… 50 42.1 -76.0
#> # ... with 17 more rows, and 3 more variables: obsValid <lgl>,
#> # obsReviewed <lgl>, locationPrivate <lgl>Obtain historical frequencies of bird occurrences by hotspot or region
ebirdfreq(loctype = 'hotspots', loc = 'L196159')
#> # A tibble: 9,072 x 4
#> comName monthQt frequency sampleSize
#> <chr> <chr> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 Snow Goose January-1 0. 27.
#> 2 Greater White-fronted Goose January-1 0. 27.
#> 3 Cackling Goose January-1 0. 27.
#> 4 Canada Goose January-1 0. 27.
#> 5 Cackling/Canada Goose January-1 0. 27.
#> 6 Trumpeter Swan January-1 0. 27.
#> 7 Wood Duck January-1 0.185 27.
#> 8 Blue-winged Teal January-1 0. 27.
#> 9 Cinnamon Teal January-1 0. 27.
#> 10 Blue-winged/Cinnamon Teal January-1 0. 27.
#> # ... with 9,062 more rowsSearch for notable sightings at a given latitude and longitude
ebirdnotable(lat = 42, lng = -70)
#> # A tibble: 802 x 12
#> speciesCode comName sciName locId locName obsDt howMany lat lng
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 rthhum Ruby-th… Archilo… L584… US-New H… 2018… 1 42.9 -71.0
#> 2 ameoys America… Haemato… L765… Basket I… 2018… 2 43.5 -70.4
#> 3 rthhum Ruby-th… Archilo… L497… stakeout… 2018… 1 42.3 -71.6
#> 4 ycnher Yellow-… Nyctana… L382… Lake War… 2018… 1 42.4 -72.6
#> 5 ovenbi1 Ovenbird Seiurus… L168… Brenton … 2018… 1 41.5 -71.4
#> 6 hoowar Hooded … Setopha… L514… 000 31 … 2018… 1 43.3 -71.0
#> 7 ycnher Yellow-… Nyctana… L796… Mt. Warn… 2018… 1 42.4 -72.6
#> 8 ycnher Yellow-… Nyctana… L796… Lake War… 2018… 1 42.4 -72.6
#> 9 ycnher Yellow-… Nyctana… L796… Lake War… 2018… 1 42.4 -72.6
#> 10 sora Sora Porzana… L420… Tiogue L… 2018… 1 41.7 -71.6
#> # ... with 792 more rows, and 3 more variables: obsValid <lgl>,
#> # obsReviewed <lgl>, locationPrivate <lgl>or a region
ebirdnotable(locID = 'US-NY-109')
#> # A tibble: 71 x 12
#> speciesCode comName sciName locId locName obsDt howMany lat lng
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 buggna Blue-gra… Poliopt… L177… Sapsuck… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.4
#> 2 comgal1 Common G… Gallinu… L518… Hile Sc… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.4
#> 3 buggna1 Blue-gra… Poliopt… L124… Sapsuck… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 4 buggna Blue-gra… Poliopt… L515… Sapsuck… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 5 comnig Common N… Chordei… L518… Hile Sc… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.4
#> 6 blkvul Black Vu… Coragyp… L398… 14## Ha… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 7 blkvul Black Vu… Coragyp… L286… Sapsuck… 2018… 1 42.5 -76.5
#> 8 blkvul Black Vu… Coragyp… L212… Stevens… 2018… 1 42.4 -76.4
#> 9 sora Sora Porzana… L594… Ridgewa… 2018… 1 42.3 -76.4
#> 10 conwar Connecti… Opororn… L446… Durland… 2018… 1 42.4 -76.4
#> # ... with 61 more rows, and 3 more variables: obsValid <lgl>,
#> # obsReviewed <lgl>, locationPrivate <lgl>Obtain detailed information on any valid eBird region
ebirdregioninfo("CA-BC-GV")
#> # A tibble: 1 x 5
#> region minX maxX minY maxY
#> <chr> <dbl> <dbl> <dbl> <dbl>
#> 1 Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -123. -122. 49.0 49.6rebird and other packagesrebirdThis package is part of a richer suite called spocc - Species Occurrence Data, along with several other packages, that provide access to occurrence records from multiple databases. We recommend using spocc as the primary R interface to rebird unless your needs are limited to this single source.
auk vs. rebirdThose interested in eBird data may also want to consider auk, an R package that helps extracting and processing the whole eBird dataset. The functions in rebird are faster but mostly limited to accessing recent (i.e. within the last 30 days) observations, although ebirdfreq() does provide historical frequency of observation data. In contrast, auk gives access to the full set of ~ 500 million eBird observations. For most ecological applications, users will require auk; however, for some use cases, e.g. building tools for birders, rebird provides a quicker and easier way to access data. rebird and auk are both part of the rOpenSci project.
rebirdThe 2.0 APIs have considerably been expanded from the previous version, and rebird only covers some of them. The webservices covered are listed below; if you’d like to contribute wrappers to APIs not yet covered by this package, feel free to submit a pull request!
ebirdregion()ebirdnotable()ebirdregion()ebirdgeo()ebirdgeo()nearestobs()ebirdnotable()ebirdtaxonomy()ebirdregioninfo()rebird in R doing citation(package = 'rebird')