Are you a serious lister or do you just want to keep track of what birds visit your garden each year? Do you want your observations to be accessible to and benefit other birders and nature enthusiasts?
Well, on Konkoit, recording a bird or mammal observation is fast and easy. Once you are set up, recording a sighting can be done in seconds.
The list of species
Firstly, be sure that you have the right list of species available on the App. The list of species on your Konkoit App should reflect your location and preferences.
You can change the list of species you see by visiting the Settings section of the Konkoit App. There you can update your location or change the types of birds and mammals that interests you.
Only the species occurring in your chosen location will be visible in the App. Be sure to update your location or region setting when you travel.
You are required to choose the types of animals you are most interested in and you can currently choose from birds and mammals.
If you are interested in mammals, you have the option of seeing a full mammal list for your area. Many users however prefer to focus on larger and more easily identifiable mammals and there is a large mammal only option.
If you are a birder you are currently able to choose from two checklists. These are the Clements list which is most popular in North America and the IOC list which is more popular elsewhere in the world. There are some naming and species recognition differences between the lists and to avoid confusion, we recommend that you use the list most popular in your region.
Find a Species and record a Sighting
To record an observation or sighting, navigate to the Species tab on the App where you will see a list of all the species loaded. Find the specie you have seen using the search bar at the top. Then click on the species photo or name to select the species, before tapping the red record button at the bottom. This will open up a sightings page showing time and location which you can change if needed. You can also add any notes you wish before saving the sighting.
A message will be displayed confirming that the observation was recorded successfully.
You have the option to link your own photograph to the sighting or you can let the App choose one for you.
The observation will automatically be linked to your name, your sighting lists and included in the statistics as seen on your Profile page.
You have the option to post any particularly interesting observation to your Newsfeed by ticking the box at the bottom of the sightings page. Details of the sighting including the date, time, location, photo and notes will then be shown in your Newsfeed where other users who follow you will be able to see it.
If you decide not to post the sighting to your Newsfeed, details of the sighting will still be recorded but will not be visible to other users.
You will be able to record sightings, even when you do not have cell or data reception. Images not already cached on your phone will not be available when offline.
When you attach your own photograph to an observation and then post that observation with the photograph to your feed, the photograph will be added to the photo gallery of the specie you have recorded. All other users will be able to view it there.
Quick Record option
If you do not wish to add notes or your own photograph to the observation recording, you can use the quick record option.
Find the species from your list with the search and tap on the photo or name to highlight. Then hold down the red record button until you feel a buzz. The observation has then been recorded without going to the more information pop-up page.
Even when using the quick record option, you can edit or add to the observation by finding it under the Observations tab.
Information recorded and user privacy
For every observation we record the following information:
• The name of the animal or bird observed
• Date and time of the observation
• The GPS coordinates of the observation
• Any notes or comments that you may have entered
• Any photograph that you may have linked to the observation
The information recorded will only be visible to other users if you choose to update the specific observation as a post to your Newsfeed.
Should you not post the sighting to your feed, the information will not be visible to any other users. The information may be used to update species specific heatmaps and user data summaries. You will however not be identifiable to other users.
Image credit – Luiz Lapa
