#wtbguide

hi there!

The human interaction rule does have some nuance, we can parse it out here.

In these examples, the first one is okay and the second one is not.

We'd like to keep people from handling birds on their own, so photos that imply that are usually a no-go. Birds that are acting out of their own free will however, is generally seen as okay.

Our vision is built around communication between players. We want to encapsulate what it is like on a group bird hike — bad angles and poor lighting included.

We just spawn the bird, and leave it up to you binocular wielding followers to figure out what it is. Answer in any way that makes you happy: no guides/clues, reverse google search, whatever.

There is no wrong way to play this game.

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That is just our vision though and we've never actually asked.

we've noticed an uptick in excitement for our quizzes that has lead to some players missing our "no answers" preamble.

however, we have not and will not moderate these comments on our quizzes. we value the discussions on our posts, and we feel that conversations would shut down if monitored too strictly. our goal has always been centered around starting conversations. that is why we highly encourage using any resources as well.

plus, not every spoiled answer is correct ;)

that being said,

we still encourage discussion under questions be limited to how you came to your conclusion, not what your conclusion was.

The submission MUST include:

Photo(s)

Location - State/Provence at minimum.

Season if the photo isn't recent

Context - What was your bird doing? Any features not caught on camera?

General Rules

Original content only

No human interaction or contact of any kind

Birding content only

Submitters are expected to practice the American Birding Association (ABA) Code of Birding Ethics along with State or Provence laws

No captive bird submissions

If multiple birds in the shot, it must be obvious what bird is the one you are questioning

Any submission that does not follow the guidelines will not be posted.

If you'd like a quicker response time, post your bird following this guide on your blog and tag us in it!

Example:

Bird ID? Indianapolis, IN

Was seen jumping around rocks by a river. Wouldn't sit still for long.

To make things easier on ourselves we are strictly following Clements Checklist for naming conventions of the answers. In your example the submitted answer would just be "Brown Pelican".

Extra information is always welcomed, but we will match the answer to whatever Clements recognizes.

Yes absolutely. All we ask is that the photo be personally taken by you.

Yes!

sigh. tumblr is gonna tumblr.