Ian Davies

I am the eBird International Strategy Lead at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where I work to expand the reach and impact of eBird and Merlin across the globe. In this role, I develop and implement strategies to grow eBird’s international user community, strengthen partnerships with conservation, research, and educational organizations worldwide, and ensure that eBird data serve the needs of researchers and conservationists in every region.

My work sits at the intersection of technology, community science, and global bird conservation, helping to build the frameworks needed to connect people and to better understand and protect bird populations across borders.

Before stepping into my current role, I developed deep expertise in bird identification and citizen science. I am a skilled birder with extensive field experience across more than 75 countries, and I bring that firsthand knowledge to my work shaping how eBird serves diverse birding communities. I have contributed to the development of eBird tools and resources, and I play a key role in connecting local birding networks with eBird and Merlin, ensuring that these systems reflect the needs and knowledge of birders everywhere.

I am passionate about making birding more accessible on a global scale. I collaborate closely with regional partners, local experts, and international organizations to lower barriers to participation and to ensure that eBird data contribute meaningfully to conservation decision-making around the world. My efforts focus on ensuring that eBird remains not just the world’s largest biodiversity citizen science platform, but one that truly serves the global birding and conservation community.