How reliable is the news published by BirdGuides?
We are very keen not to be criticised for publishing ‘duff’ information, as has happened to at least one bird news service. To prevent this we will ensure that our news service is only run by experienced and knowledgeable birdwatchers, who will be able to communicate directly with many of the observers and quiz them directly about any reports that seem unlikely. If a bird has been reported by only a single observer and hasn’t been corroborated, it will be published but with the symbol next to it meaning ‘reported’ as opposed to confirmed or if the observer him- or herself has expressed doubt about the certainty of the identification. In some cases, the sightings will have come from other sources, so we won’t be able to check them directly and we’ll have to rely on the ‘quality control’ provided by that service. There is no doubt that some sightings will slip through inaccurately but the considerable knowledge of those who run our service should ensure that mistakes are minimal. If you
