Among the variety of bird photographs you can view in the Macaulay Library and Birds of the World, this photo of a Green Honeycreeper taken by Dorian Anderson in Columbia is exemplary of the more than 13 million photos shared by birders on eBird during 2024. The White-crowned Sparrow is used as an example of how the Merlin app downloaded on a cellphone can help with identifying birds in the field by sight, sound, and photographs (photo by Mason Maron).

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that last year was filled with impressive achievements for eBird, Merlin, the Macaulay Library, and Birds of the World. Charged by the global birding community, incredible benchmarks for bird-related data collection were realized with more than 122,000 new eBirders and 7½ million new Merlin users who joined for the first time during 2024. Overall, 268 million eBird reports were added last year and birders shared more than 13 million new photographs of birds. New features and updated resources made birding advancements accessible to more people worldwide than ever before, partly due to the launch of a Spanish-language version of Birds of the World last fall. Best of all, you helped to make it possible.

Your birding activities and sighting reports made a big difference, inspiring tens of millions of people who accessed the Cornell Lab’s resources to learn, study, and help conserve bird populations. Primary among the year’s accomplishments was to enhance birding experiences, improving access to information about birds, advancing our understanding of bird populations, and building community connections across the nation and around the world.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology continues as a leading source of information about birds as well as a vibrant center to coordinate a variety of birding activities. To learn more about the Lab’s work, its birding resources, and the depth of advancements that were produced during 2024, you can refer to an expansive review of achievements at 2024 Year in Review: eBird, Merlin, Macaulay Library, and Birds of the World - eBird