eBird and photo ratings

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T

Turberticus

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Does anybody here happen to post on eBird? I've noticed a trend in my region where my photos will get 1 star ratings from at least one person. Of course I don't know who the person is, but I'm curious why anybody would do that. They're not bad photos and quite honestly some of the photos posted by others are pretty poor, but I realize eBird is mostly comprised of birders where photography is secondary. I just find the downvoting a little bizarre. Curious if others have experienced the same.
 
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Turberticus said:
Does anybody here happen to post on eBird? I've noticed a trend in my region where my photos will get 1 star ratings from at least one person. Of course I don't know who the person is, but I'm curious why anybody would do that. They're not bad photos and quite honestly some of the photos posted by others are pretty poor, but I realize eBird is mostly comprised of birders where photography is secondary. I just find the downvoting a little bizarre. Curious if others have experienced the same.
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I haven't noticed it for the locations I frequently check for activity, yet it doesn't surprise me. Eventually, it seems, in any forum on any topic there will be a few people that seem intent causing a stir by being contrary, rude, etc. , particularly if a site isn't particularly well moderated. I agree - eBird isn't a photography site per se, it's a birding site, and I think the images posted there aren't posted for photographic excellence or critique (the images I've seen run the gamut); it's a shame that someone felt compelled to rate them with indifference to the purpose of the site.
 
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Doug Herr said:
I haven't checked the ratings for my photos on eBird but I've been told they're quite low. It doesn't bother me, I don't post high-resolution versions of my photos online. As stated by coachjohn57, eBird's emphasis is birding. I'd expect a barely-recognizable photo of a mega-rarity would be rated higher.
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Understood, although their ratings guidelines strictly state they're for the quality of the image. Despite that, I often see poor photos of rare birds get higher ratings than a technically good photo of a common bird. https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001064392-rating-media

Maybe I shouldn't let this get to me as much as it has, but was just curious to read others experiences and thoughts on the matter.
 
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I wasn't even aware that they had star ratings on ebird. I've stopped submitting any bird siting's on ebird at all. In the area where I live (like all areas) there are some common locations where certain species show up at different times throughout the year. As soon as someone posts a species on ebird in our area, the next day that area will be overwhelmed by a crowd of people looking to get shots. It quickly deteriorates into social hour, with no regard for the wildlife, nature, or other photographers.
 
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The purpose of photos on ibird is to identify the bird; especially if you are not sure your Identified it correctly or if it is a rare bird or in a rare location. The only reason I can see for a poor rating is to let the photographer know that the photo doesn't help ID the bird.
 
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I wouldn't worry about it. Sometimes birders are weird. And people on the internet are often contrary for the sake of being contrary. I honestly didn't even realize there was a rating system on there.

Personally, I generally don't post my best photos on ebird. I only include a photo if it's a rare or unusual bird and I want to include a photo for verification purposes. Or sometimes I'll post a photo if it's a tagged bird and I get a clear look at the tag. But, since I'm fussy about licensing agreements, I generally only upload photos I'm not planning on using for anything else. They might be clear enough to ID a bird, but not "art" quality, you know?

That's just my take. But I don't think anybody is on there looking for artistic quality photos, so I really wouldn't let the rating system get you down.
 
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From eBird:
Ratings increase the utility of Macaulay Library media for everyone, enabling the best images, audio, and video to be discovered and used in projects such as Merlin and Birds of the World, as well as Illustrated Checklists and external research applications.

You can rate your own media when you add it to your eBird checklist, as well as any photo, audio recording, or video that you find in the Macaulay Library. We use a 5-star rating system, with 5 stars being the highest quality.

For all three media types, keep in mind that the rating should be based on the technical quality, not the rarity of the bird. Biological interest should not play a role in the star rating. Please rate media honestly; attempts to manipulate the rating system or use multiple personal accounts to rate media is not allowed.
support.ebird.org

How to rate media in the Macaulay Library/eBird

Ratings increase the utility of Macaulay Library media for everyone, enabling the best images, audio, and video to be discovered and used in projects such as Merlin and Birds of the World, as well as Illustrated Checklists and external research a...
support.ebird.org support.ebird.org

For more info, see: https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001064392-rating-media
 
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DougC said:
The ugly truth is that many birders do not like photographers, sad but true. I’ve been a victim of this here in Texas.
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That might be changing some now that so many birders are photographing the birds they see. I have only run into that once 8 yrs. ago and it came from a birder who was cranky because he couldn't get good bird photos himself (at least that was my conclusion).
 
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The local Audubon society president was very much an anti photography person a few years ago. They imposed restrictions at several areas and wouldn’t budge from their hard line position.
 
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DougC said:
The ugly truth is that many birders do not like photographers, sad but true. I’ve been a victim of this here in Texas.
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I've had that happen here in PA as well. In one particular case, A friend and I were in place quietly trying to photograph warblers. A group of birders came along the trail in a noisy fashion and frightened the birds away. They then promptly blamed us for "stressing the birds". I don't assume all birders are like this; just as with photographers some are friendly and helpful - some are less so.
 
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I know this is an older post, but I have experienced this and was kind of taken aback. I didn't know people would rate photos on Ebird. I thought it was a friendly site where people could share birds they have recently seen so others can look for them. I posted a Baltimore oriole as evidence it was migrating through the area. The photo clearly showed it for what it was, and the food /nectar it was eating was apparent - someone gave my photo one star - Thanks very little - lol. I wasn't trying to win an award, and I took it through my kitchen window. Ebird should have a separate media post for those who wish to show the bird, what it is doing, etc. - for those interested in feeding or looking for the species while it is in the area.
 
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