Fictional eBird Records

[Ian McLean]

Kia ora
Just reporting on what seems to be an occurrence of rather fictional eBird records.

Recently, there was a report of laughing kookaburra in Waiheke Island on the rather unscientific "Birds of New Zealand (Official)" facebook group. As a result, I checked eBird records for laughing kookaburra in the Auckland region. The result, was that there are no records of kookaburra on Waiheke Island, but there is a record of kookaburra in the rather unusual location of Michaels Avenue Reserve Pond in Ellerslie as linked below.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S282608342

This "record" by Patrick Higgins is of 1 laughing kookaburra seen during a two hour stationary count that includes a picture of the "kookaburra" that is clearly a red-billed gull in a coastal location !

The questions to ask here are: (1) Is the observer just so bad that they really made such a huge error ? Or (2) Are they just submitting this record to take the piss & be a pain in the arse ?

Unfortunately, there seems to be a growing habit on social media of people mocking others &/or submitting fictional BS posts. I find it very disappointing that this seems to be occurring with eBird as well.

If possible, could eBird reviewers delete this fictional record, as it just clogs up distribution maps with nonsense.

Cheers
Ian McLean

[simon.fordham]

We had a record of a kookaburra in East Tamaki Heights (near Howick / Botany) in 2015. A UBR was filed and accepted.

At that stage, I believe that was only the second record south of the Harbour Bridge.

[Ian McLean]

Thanks Simon. There were two other records, from McLean's Park near Eastern Beach from 2014 (one of which was confirmed by UBR) so there is some presence of the species in eastern Auckland. The reported Waiheke Island sighting of a pair is interesting & I have requested the people to provide a photo. Any photo should quickly confirm whether these birds are laughing kookaburra or kotare/sacred kingfisher, which are often mistaken for the larger species. I will advise the result of whether they appear present on Waiheke.

Unfortunately, the eBird record of a laughing kookaburra in Ellerslie is a bit of a nonsense.

[Ian McLean]

It's great that this nonsense record has now been deleted (or hidden) from the laughing kookaburra distribution map. Thank you eBird reviewers.

[RichardLitt]

If anyone finds eBird records from the Wellington region, and doesn't want to point it out publicly, feel free to let me know by DM or by email. I can take a look. richard dot littauer, gmail.

[Ian McLean]

Just FYI: It turns out that the report of two laughing kookaburras on Waiheke Island are two kotare/sacred kingfishers.