A number of WhatsApp groups organized around birding have popped up in Washington State. Some are general birding discussions, while others are narrowly and strictly focused on rare bird sightings. Some are statewide, while others are town- or county-based.
WhatsApp is a free messaging service that lets users of iPhone and Android smartphones and Mac and Windows PC call and exchange text, photo, audio and video messages with others across the globe, regardless of the recipient’s device.
Typically these birding WhatsApp groups exchange text messages about bird sightings or other issues, occasionally with pictures or audio recordings. The groups focused on rare bird sightings often include geographical coordinates to locate exactly where the bird was seen.
Please take note of whether you are subscribing to a rare bird alert (RBA) group or a more general discussion group. The bird alert groups focus only on the specifics of the sightings, e.g., what was seen, where was it seen, when was it seen, etc.
To join a group, download the WhatsApp app to your iPhone, Android phone or Mac or Windows PC. Set up an account with WhatsApp by giving yourself a name and password. For more information, go to the WhatsApp website.
Then contact the group administrator at the phone number or email given here about joining the group. WhatsApp groups vary in how open they wish to be, ranging from open groups that publish links and allow anybody to join to completely private groups that don’t wish to add members. In between are groups that require you to ask permission to join but often willingly offer that permission. For groups that don’t publish links for joining, you will need to do some detective work to find how to contact them. You can post a message on Tweeters asking how to reach a member or administrator for the group your interested in. Or you can ask around for contact information.
Please keep in mind that the greater birding community in Washington State are not WhatsApp subscribers but still are eager to learn about sightings, observations and other birding information. Perhaps the key place for that is Tweeters. So don’t forget to post information there, so that it is available to the wider community!
WhatsApp Washington Birding Groups
Open Washington Birders
This is a group dedicated to any bird-related conversation. It is designed to be a tool for the birding community to connect and share knowledge, news, and photos with other birders in the state. To join, contact the administrator, Lin Stern at (503) 213-0666 or lindseysarahstern AT gmail.com
Washington Statewide RBA
This group is dedicated to instant notifications of rare bird sightings across the state of Washington. To join, contact the administrator, Lin Stern at (503) 213-0666 or lindseysarahstern AT gmail.com
Neah Bay Bird Alert
Pacific and Grays Harbor Counties RBA
Thurston and Mason Counties RBA
NOTE: Administrators of WhatsApp birding groups elsewhere in Washington State who would like to be listed here should email webmaster AT wos.org