Date: 8/23/26 7:07 pm From: David Cunningham via groups.io <gopacgodc...> Subject: Re: [NEBirds] County lines
Paul,
I suppose this might lead to some confusion. Since most individuals are
using ebird, Cornell requests that their rules be followed. In your example
below with the BRPE, it could legitimately be entered into a Washington
County Nebraska ebird checklist if seen for that location. The checklist,
assuming proper documentation for the rarity, should be accepted, because
it is ebird and Cornell's rules. The muddy side comes when/if ebird is
used for NOU county/state or ABA records. I assume (but don't have the
history) NOU is following ABA rules.
Dave Cunningham
Sarpy County
On Sun, Aug 23, 2026 at 8:47 PM Paul L. Pearson via groups.io <Propearson=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> eBird 'border' protocol is not accurate for ABA Area listing, including
> Nebraska county or state records.
>
> For example, the Brown Pelican at Desoto this weekend never crossed into
> Nebraska, and thus not countable for Nebraska lists, even though it was
> observed from the Nebraska side of the lake. For the Iowa checklist, it was
> counted as an Iowa bird. For a list on the Nebraska side, it wasn't
> entered, as it had not been observed physically crossing the state border.
>
> Is this a breach of eBird's protocol? Yes. But it's absolutely accurate
> for ABA listing protocols. When 'border birding' I follow ABA protocols and
> use incidental lists in the "other" geography.
>
> "Under the American Birding Association (ABA) Recording Rules, a bird
> must be physically within the defined geographic boundaries of the
> checklist area when encountered to be countable. If you stand on one side
> of a border and see a bird across it, countability depends entirely on
> where the bird's physical body is located. [1
> <http://www.thebirdist.com/2014/10/changes-to-abas-recording-rules.html>]" >
> If you have a bird on the state or county line that crosses over, count it
> on the county checklist you are in and create an incidental list for the
> other county or state it crossed into. eBird may not like it, but the
> NOURC and ABA won't accept it.
>
> There are several hotspots where this is an issue in NE and the eBird
> hotspots are usually set up to be used in the correct counties.
>
> Desoto is an example, everything inside the oxbow to halfway across the
> historical channel is NE, as well as south of the center of the current
> river channel, but everything else is Iowa.
>
> On Henry Road in Sioux County, there are parts of the road fully in NE,
> parts fully in WY and some places where the center of the road is the
> dividing line. Unless the bird is in or crosses into NE, it's not countable
> in NE. e.g. Rosy finches on the Wyoming cliffs are WY birds until they fly
> over the road, despite where you are physically standing or what eBird says
> you should do.
>
> Lewis and Clark lake near Yankton is a more difficult example. Google
> maps has the wrong state line, as the border is actually the center of the
> historical channel well north of google's state line in the current
> channel. Complicating this is the Cedar/Knox border running N-S but the
> dam/road is not exactly N-S. The 'tailrace' next to the west side of the
> dam and everything east is Cedar Co. (map is attached). However, at the
> pullouts to the north, all the birds on the west side are Knox until you
> hit the state line sign. Confused yet? Typically when birding Lewis and
> Clark lake, you may have to use several checklists to be accurate.
>
> There are other examples (Jack Sinn mentioned, Buffalo WMA near
> Scottsbluff, etc). In those cases, create a new list when you are crossing
> those borders. e.g. one for Banner and one for Scottsbluff county (cant
> find Brenner's map for that one). Indian Cave SP is another straddling
> nemaha and richardson...the road in extended is the county line (see map)
>
> Hopefully this somewhat clears up the difference between ABA/NE listing
> and eBird protocol.
>
> Paul P.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Paul L. Pearson, PhD
> President-Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union
> Omaha, NE
>
>
>
