The influence of rare birds on observer effort and subsequent rarity discovery in the American birdwatching community

Birdwatching is a rapidly growing pastime, increasingly involving the pursuit of rare birds as birders build lists of species they encounter. We expected reports of rare bird discoveries to quickly draw birders to locations, and that the increased attention at those locations would decay over time. We hypothesized that magnitude of draw and rates of decay would vary depending on characteristics of the species and the geographic locations where rarities were discovered. Discoveries of additional rarities might affect both the draw and decay, so we also quantified empirical evidence for the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect (PPTE), a social feedback loop where rarity discoveries are presumed to lead to additional rarity discoveries because of the elevated levels of birder activity once an initial rarity is reported. Although commonly invoked, supporting evidence for the PPTE hypothesis is anecdotal. We used 10 years of eBird data (2008–2017) in the United States to (1) understand birding activity when rarities were reported and the factors associated with draw and decay, and (2) assess the frequency at which initial rarity discoveries lead to reports of additional rarities. Across 273 rarity events, birder effort, as indexed by numbers of eBird checklists, increased above the pre-event baseline level, with the magnitude of draw varying geographically. We found no indication that draw was influenced by species identity or rarity-level, but latitude and distance to small airport proved important in drawing additional eBirders to rare bird discoveries. Mean draw of rarities and mean number of checklists from the same locations prior to each rarity discovery grew through the ten years, suggesting an increased influence of eBird on birder behavior in general. Decay rates in birder effort were more gradual in rare bird events with longer durations. Effort declined below baseline-levels after rarities went undetected, suggesting, “location-fatigue” following rarity events. Results did not support the PPTE hypothesis. Controlling for site-specific circumstances, birders had no better chance of finding additional rarities during events than at times outside events. Our results emphasize that eBird checklist quantity at rarity events follows a predictable but variable pattern of draw and decay influenced by location and time since rarity discovery; that birders have statistically similar chances of finding rarities during normal “baseline” birding activities as they do when known rarities are present; and that eBird represents a largely untapped resource for studying factors that influence levels of birding activity.