Planned Outage for Some Cornell Lab Services

Several Cornell Lab of Ornithology services will be unavailable beginning March 19 through 6:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern time on March 21. This is a one-time disruption while we migrate more than 1.6 billion eBird observations and additional project data to new servers. After the move, our websites will have improved reliability, stability, and room to grow. Thank you for your understanding during this outage.

Don’t worry, your data (checklists, media, Bird Academy courses, Merlin life list, etc.) will be safe during the migration and will be unaffected when we come back online.

Unavailable: The following websites and services will be down during this period:

  • eBird.org, including eBird portals, eBird Alerts, the eBird API, eBird Science, and data downloads
  • Macaulay Library
  • Birds of the World

Partially affected: Several Cornell Lab projects will remain up but services that require a login will be unavailable:

  • Bird Academy login and store will be unavailable. Users will be able to access most course materials if they were logged in to the site before the outage. Snap ID quizzes will not function during the outage.
  • NestWatch and Project FeederWatch login and data entry will be unavailable both on the website and the app. Please record your data on paper and enter it after the outage ends.
  • eBird Mobile app: The Explore and My eBird functions will not work during the outage. You can use the app to create checklists and then submit them after the outage ends. Your eBird data will be safe.
  • Merlin Bird ID app: Sound ID will continue to work, as well as Photo ID, Step-by-Step, and Explore, using your recent locations only. You will not be able to save sightings, refresh your life list, update your location, or log in to your account. These functions will return when the outage ends and your data will be safe.

Unaffected: The following sites will continue to function as normal:

What Can I Do During the Outage?

Go Out Birding!

  • If you already have Merlin Bird ID app installed, you can still use it for some purposes. Though you won’t be able to update your location, save sightings, or refresh your life list, the ID functions will still work with your saved locations, and you can still browse species using Explore Birds
  • If you already have the eBird Mobile app installed on your device, you can start eBird Mobile checklists during the downtime and submit them once eBird is back online. Learn how to Enter Sightings with eBird Mobile

Explore Birds Online

Stay Connected

  • Watch for status updates on our Facebook and Instagram channels
  • Join us for two days of fun activities on the @Team_eBird Instagram account
  • Have some fun by sharing your “life without eBird” on social media. If you’re missing your live eBird access during this outage, share how you’re coping with the hashtag #eBirdLife. We’ll be right there with you!

Join Our Email List

The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. Sign up for email and don’t miss a thing!

Golden-cheeked Warbler by Bryan Calk/Macaulay Library