The tracking data held in our database were kindly provided by seabird researchers from around the world (see list below).
The data shown are organized into datasets. A dataset is a combination of tracking data collected from one-to-several birds belonging to the same species, collected with the same type of device (GPS, PTT or GLS), deployed in the same colony, and owned by the same group of contributors.
Tracking data for any seabird species, regardless of their conservation status, are very welcome to our database. A complete list of all seabird species currently recognized by BirdLife International can be found here
BirdLife International is the curator and manager of the database, but the data is actually owned by the contributors. The main purpose of the database is to inform conservation work (read more here), but we also aim to enhance and collaboration among seabird researchers. Data can be requested via this website and the contributors then decide whether to accept or reject sharing their data.
Please note that the data shown in our mapping tool is raw data (filtered to remove erroneous locations in case of PTT and GLS data), corresponding to a small sample of the species’ overall populations. Therefore, the absence of a species in a certain area may not be considered as a true absence of the species. Data should be analysed with the proper statistical tools before deriving any conclusions about the use of the areas. Some results of the application of such analytical methods to identify Important Bird Areas can be viewed in BirdLife Marine E-atlas.