eBird Adds "Iconic Birds" Feature

Introduced in February 2026, eBird's new "Iconic Birds" feature highlights species that characterize hotspots. These species have been reported more frequently at the location than in the surrounding region, so you're more likely to encounter these species here compared to the average site in this region during selected time periods.
Iconic Birds typically fall into three categories:

• Localized species (regular at the Hotspot, uncommon elsewhere in the region) → indicate a hotspot has unique habitat

• Rare vagrants (unpredictable and infrequent, but still meet criteria for inclusion) → indicate a site might be known for regular occurrence of certain rarities

• Common species (reported more often at the Hotspot than other sites) → suggest a generally reliable birding place

Iconic Bird lists are based on the last 10 years of user data and are updated annually. The more user data, the more accurate the lists.

Click here to see an example for one of our favorite local birding spots for the month of March!