#WTBGuide

[whatsthebird]

question for answerers and mod, how do you typically answer the questions/how were they intended to be answered? I usually try and answer them without looking anything up but some people mention things like as if they do, so I'm curious.

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.

-

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

[whatsthebird]

lately there are a ton of people in the comments openly discussing answers. is it possible for you to moderate them more strictly so that the rest of us don't get spoiled? thanks for the quizzes and appreciate all you do.

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.

if hints take away the value of the quiz for you, we'd recommend voting before you reach the bottom of the post and not going into the comments.

[whatsthebird]

Your Bird ID Submission

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.

For the Quiz Birds submission guide, click [here]

[whatsthebird]

Hi, I'd love to submit pictures I've taken but as I also have a birdwatching sideblog, most of them have been shared online, so I wondered if they were allowed here. Would sending them fit the "original content" rule as I personally took the photographs, or is it also required the pics were never shared before (even if I post them on my blog later)?

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

Be sure to let us know what blog to credit when submitting.

[whatsthebird]

Do you accept audio submissions? I’ve been trying to identify a bird, but I only have an audio clip of its call as I couldn’t identify where the sound was coming from.

Yes!

We ask that you still follow the submission guidelines as normal.

[whatsthebird]

Not a bird, but I think people's pics are getting downsized? Like, I think the original pictures have the features quite clear but when submitted they get very pixelated. I've had this happen with my latest submission. Just a heads up to everyone submitting their pics. Perhaps crop down to have the bird be in most of the frame. :)

sigh. tumblr is gonna tumblr.

we have to re-upload each submission and that can lower quality. so cropping before submission is a great idea. thank you!

[whatsthebird]

How do we find out if we are correct or not? I wanna learn about birds I don't know about.

Got to wait until the following Sunday where we make the master post of the following week's answers.

Or you can try to suss it out of the commenters on the post day of posting ;)

[whatsthebird]

are we allowed to submit non-american birds?

Absolutely!

and as always be sure to read our guidelines before submitting.

[whatsthebird]

Are there preferences on how many photos one can send in? I have a collection of about 15 birds I'd like to submit, but that would have to be in two parts since I can only submit 10 at a time! I just wanted to ask if there's any specific structure to submitting that I've not seen.

The giant ground hornbill is just a fun little addition. Most of my photos aren't this clear

(with the collection I'd like to submit: I tried to make the birds identifiable but somewhat ambiguous, to add a bit more fun to those experienced in bird identification)

Howdy!

You can dump as many photos you like at a time. We just ask the information listed in the guidelines is present for each photo. (And formatted in a way where we can tell what information goes with what picture!)

Excited to see your photos, that's a gorgeous hornbill you have ~

[whatsthebird]

hi! just to clarify, are we able to check sources (field guides, birding apps, etc) to help us ID the species, or are we supposed to guess without looking anything up? so far ive just been guessing 😅

Howdy!

You can't cheat on a quiz that isn't graded.

That being said, the vision has always been to treat it like you're out birding. However you handle it out there is how you'd ideally play it here.

Ultimately, play this in a way that would be the most fun to you. The only prize is learning a bit more about bird identification.

🧡🦆

[whatsthebird]

FAQ

We've compiled a set of common questions that we hope to demystify through this page. If a question you have isn't listed here, shoot us an ask.

Submissions

Can I submit a photo for fun?

If it's your own bird photo, then it can be submitted as either a Bird ID photo or a Quiz Bird. Our General rule of thumb is, if you know what the bird is, then submit it as a bird quiz. If you don't know what bird it is, submit as a bird ID.

Are anonymous quiz submissions ok?

Absolutely! We just ask that you specify that you wish to stay anonymous, so that we don't think it's a Tumblr glitch.

Are submissions limited to America or some sort of specific regions?

Not at all. Submissions are open to anyone who's taken a bird photo.

Where's my submission?

It's possible we just haven't gotten to you yet. Each submission is selected via lottery, and scheduled two weeks out.

Additionally, not every submission will be used. Sometimes the image is lacking key identifiers, or the submission did not follow the guidelines.

Can you tell me if my submission won't make it on the quiz?

WTB will not be proactively reaching out to users. The lack of options to contact the person hinders our ability to do so. Multi person blogs can't direct message, and not every submitter has their ask box open. If you'd like, you can send us an ask about your bird's status that we will gladly answer.

I'm not American, do I still need to follow the ABA guidelines?

The American Birding Association code of birding is a general set of guidelines that can be practiced anywhere in the world. We expect our submitters to practice ethical birding while out photographing birds.

How high quality are the photos required to be?

We value all levels of photography. As long as the key identifying features are present in the photo, the photo can be used.

General

Is it okay to use resources?

Absolutely. This quiz isn't graded. Pull out whatever you want (apps, books, your grandma...) to help. If you're really stumped, throw a lifeline to your fellow players. Some have even been leaving hints in the tags.

How do I play?

Pick the correct answer choice. How you get to the correct answer is up to you. Play this game in a way that would be the most fun to you.

Why have a "None of the Above" answer, choice?

We wanted to a way to promote further discussion between players.

Blog

Are you accepting mods?

At the blog's current state, we have a proportionate amount of mods to work ratio. As the blog expands, we will reevaluate the needs and go from there.

I can't click any of the links, what's happening?

iOS users have been experiencing a bug where the hyperlinks to the submission button are unavailable. To accommodate, we have now allowed media asks.

[whatsthebird]

What's the Bird?

Welcome to your daily Bird Quiz.

Every day, you'll be treated to one simple question: What's the Bird?

You'll have a week to submit your response. Once the week's polls close, answers will be compiled and posted.

FAQ HERE

To keep the game diverse, WTB runs on user submissions. If you enjoy the game, consider submitting a bird of your own to stump the masses.

Quiz Submission Guidelines HERE

Have a bird but don't know what it is? We also accept bird ID submissions!

ID Submission Guidelines HERE

Submit a Bird HERE.

20DEC2023 UPDATE

iOS users have been experiencing a bug where the hyperlinks to the submission button are unavailable.

To accommodate, we have now allowed the ask box to accept media asks.

When submitting via ask, please follow the submission guidelines as usual.

[whatsthebird]

Hi hello I have a question about submission rules, do bird feeders, birdbaths, etc and such count as human interaction? Or does that just refer to direct human interaction (touching or feeding the birds directly). Sorry if this has been asked before or should be obvious.

Hello there!

Human interaction would be touching and/or handling the birds directly yes.

[whatsthebird]

are birds ids from outside the usa allowed? only asking because the blog seems very usamerican-centric so i wanna make sure before i submit a bird

Yes! Huge fan of all birds really. We'd love to see em.

[whatsthebird]

Can we submit a picture just for fun even if we already know what it is?

Hi there,

Sounds like you'd like to submit a bird for the quiz!

Quiz Submission Guidelines HERE

Have a bird but don't know what it is? We also accept bird ID submissions!

ID Submission Guidelines HERE

If you have a bird photo that you just want to share, we'd recommend sending it to Today's Bird.

[whatsthebird]

When do you expect a submitted bird to appear in the quiz!

The quiz is on a schedule, usually made a week in advance.

We prioritize new submitters and diverse birds.

🦆