eBird disconfirmed rarity question

[PaulK]

Hi, I idly looked at the most recent checklist for a hotspot I was next to to see if there was anything interesting, and the most recent checklist included an absolutely ludicrous for this area Baltimore Oriole. It's not on the eBird RBA and it's not listed in the recent species for the hotspot so the reviewer must have removed it, but it seems odd that it's publicly visible to anyone who looks at the checklist not just the bordering question. I had thought flagged reports were hidden -- is this only for photos?

(In anonymous ebirder's defense there have been occasional reports of juvenile Bullock's here lately.)

[chipperatl]

I think it stays on the checklist, but reviewer can remove it from showing on RBA listing.  

[Charlie Spencer]

See if the unconfirmed Egyptian Goose is visible.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67828413

[Peromyscus]

14 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said:

See if the unconfirmed Egyptian Goose is visible.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67828413

It's visible on your checklist when I access the checklist from a map of Canada Goose sightings from April 2020. No Egyptian Geese are mapped for South Carolina at all, unlike in neighboring Georgia.

Edited June 28 by Peromyscus

[PaulK]

1 hour ago, Charlie Spencer said:

See if the unconfirmed Egyptian Goose is visible.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S67828413

I would have thought that unconfirmed would have been treated differently than "no you're wrong that wasn't there", but I can see from a database perspective how difficult it would be to leave something visible privately but not publicly at the same list/web address depending on login status.

Thanks everyone!

[DLecy]

4 minutes ago, PaulK said:

I can see from a database perspective how difficult it would be to leave something visible privately but not publicly at the same list/web address depending on login status.

Thanks everyone!

There are a few things going on in this thread. First, a Baltimore Oriole in Vancouver, BC that has been unconfirmed by a reviewer will not show up in the RBA and will not be searchable, but WILL still exist on the observers individual checklist...which is exactly what you are describing and what has apparently happened here. Individual reviewers do not have the capability to remove individual species from an observers checklist.

Second, the case of the Egyptian Goose is different because eBird has made a concerted and quite recent effort to categorize and document exotic species. Much of how these birds are categorized in eBird depends on their status in your local region. eBird often considers how state Bird Record Committees vote on the species in question. The goose was likely a captive "escapee," so eBird treats it as such and it is not searchable. Unlike, much more established exotics, which are considered "naturalized" and are searchable. 

[Charlie Spencer]

9 hours ago, DLecy said:

Second, the case of the Egyptian Goose is different because eBird has made a concerted and quite recent effort to categorize and document exotic species.

Just for the record, I knew as soon as I identified the exotic goose that it wasn't going to pass muster.  I posted it in this context only to test if this 'unlisted' bird was visible to others viewing the checklist.  I certainly have no disagreement with it not appearing in search results or the photos being tagged as unconfirmed.

Edited June 29 by Charlie Spencer

[DLecy]

3 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said:

Just for the record, I knew as soon as I identified the exotic goose that it wasn't going to pass muster.  I posted it in this context only to test if this 'unlisted' bird was visible to others viewing the checklist.  I certainly have no disagreement with it not appearing in search results or the photos being tagged as unconfirmed.

Good on you. Now that escapees no longer “count” in eBird, some people are fairly upset about that. The good news for listers is that “provisional” and “naturalized” exotic species still count towards their lists.