ABSTRACT
Public participation in scientific research projects, or “citizen science,” constitutes an important component of science communication practice. eBird, managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is one of the world’s largest citizen science research projects, with over 100 million bird sightings logged each year. Participants are typically birders who communicate scientific information by uploading their photos and other media to eBird’s database. Participatory projects like eBird have clear implications for science communication, as birders can play a role in shaping knowledge about bird species around the globe, especially through the use of visual information. This chapter considers how eBird, specifically its photographic content, not only constitutes an important mode of science communication, but in doing so, also helps foster empathy for vulnerable species. Finally, in demonstrating how eBird constitutes a productive mode of science communication, this chapter considers the broader implications of scientific communication and visual rhetoric for contributing to species and habitat conservation at a time when such efforts are more necessary than ever before.
