BillA

Good Morning Huggers: I am a bird photographer and I see that many of you also are. I'm trying to locate the meaning of certain abbreviations used when people post their sightings to eBird. The current one, listed in the comments sections, is HO. I have seen several others from time to time. Can anyone tell me where I can find the complete list - I have beaten "google" to death but cannot seem to hit on the search phrase that would deliver me to the correct spot.

Any help much appreciated.

Best to all!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

A simpler fix would be for people to use whole words (My, what a concept!),
then no one needs a list. Just a few extra keystrokes.

But alas.....

Just Shoot Me Loc: Ithaca, NY

The closest I came to identifying "HO" is a Great Horned Owl.
Hope this helps.

Ron

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

But wouldn't that be a GHO?
Or are they trying to save yet another keystroke.

LittleRed

Sadly most of the time this is not really realistic when using the app eBird in the field. Most of the sightings made are done “on the run” using a small mobile device. Instead of having to punch in long words/sentences on a miniature keyboard birders use abbreviation codes. These can refer to many items such as locations, types of birds, and breeding. For example one could use the breeding code ON rather than typing in the statement “occupied nest”. Or you could use the code FO instead of “flyover”, or the code FOY instead of “first of the year”. At times you may have to refer to another type of bird that is seen with the species your recording. In that case while standing in the swamp it is much easier to punch in the ABA code GBHE rather than Great Blue Heron. So you can see the use of these codes are usually necessary.
To my knowledge there is no real list for general codes on eBird but I may be wrong. Never seen one and have been a eBirder for many moons. The only lists I can remember that are recorded in use on eBird are “breeding codes” and “ABA bird species codes”.
As for the code HO it is one I’m not familiar with. Can’t even take guess without knowing how it was used within the comments area on eBird. I myself on many occasions have used codes including ones that probably others may not recognize but ones for my personal benefit. Maybe this code is likewise.

LittleRed (Ron)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Fine for birders and their apps.
What about those of us who are NOT birders.
We have no idea WTH the codes mean, nor are many interested.
Or they only posting for the benefit of other birders?

I suppose if I posted an image of an alligator at Blue Springs I could title it "A at BS".

wmurnahan Loc: Bloomington IN

We run into the problem in nursing, BS for example, I've seen it be breath sounds, blood sugar, bowel sounds, and if I sit here I'm sure I can think of a few others.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I checked several of my bird books including the Check-list of the American Ornithologists Union, pp.877. And Peterson's Field Guide. Neither really uses abbreviations other than that for states. I did not check my Audobon Guides. You might check with the American Birding Association. Otherwise I think you are out of luck. Could it just be a typo of "HO" for OH. Or some local regional term that people should not use anyway that would really mean nothing to anyone out side a given area.

As for those suggesting that abbreviations never be used, that is not realistic or practical. All fields use abbreviations. Do you really want to write out "DNA" or "EDTA" (molecular structures) every time you use them? But in all scholarly publications the first instance of a term should be written out fully or a list of used abbreviations be provided. Yikes, even photographer use a lot of abbreviations daily. ISO, AF, AE, APO-, APS-C, JPEG, etc.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Exactly!

wjv

Yep, they are saving keystrokes in the field with a smartphone that always has a 'too small' and 'too dim' keyboard to be easily used.

I vote for "Horned Owl", Great is not needed since there is no lesser 'Horned Owl" that I know of.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Fine for the field,
but this (UHH) is not the field.

LittleRed

The question put forth by BillA was in regards to an abbreviation contained within the program eBird. This program is basically intended for BIRDERS and usually not the general public. It appears to me that that is not one of your interests. This application/program is one created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a resource for research, conservation and education in dealing with the world bird population. We as birders record information such as specie type, location etc on all birds throughout the world which is then put into databases to be used for research. Yes, you probably would have no idea what the codes mean if you saw them, but why would you care? And yes they are posted basically only for the benefit of other birders as unless you are a birder you will never see them. The codes I mention and BillA talks about can only be seen on the eBird website which unless you register/join cannot access. And why would you if your not a Birder????
As for the alligator at Blue Springs there could be a list of abbreviations for them there. I dont really know if theres is or not. (I doubt it as being an active member of iNaturalist i've not ever seen or heard of one)
So please don't chastise us for using something that is beneficial within the world of Birding. Instead become a BIRDER and join us in the creation of a larger eBird database to assist in further research.

LittleRed (Ron)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

My comment put forth was regarding the abbreviations used here on the forum.........
I'm not chastising what people use in their respective apps, just commenting on people who post here where many people do not use those apps.

I'm sorry your inference was in error.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Now you will know differently:

https://dibird.com/species/lesser-horned-owl/

It's a related South American owl, originally thought to be a subspecies of the GHO, but now regarded as its own species because of key and important differences in call, habits, distances and appearance.