Current bird sightings in the State College Bird Club area (all points within 25 miles of Old Main at University Park) are mainly shared by e-mail distributed by the listserv group scbirdcl. However, sightings can also be shared from various websites and from the field with cellphones.  The following list briefly describes several groups in which sightings from the State College and adjoining areas may appear.

Listserv group SCBIRDCL

Current information about raptor, warbler, or water fowl migration in the State College area can be found on the listserv discussion group scbirdcl that is associated with the State College Bird Club. In addition to local bird sighting data, information about the Bird Club will be posted here. You may join the scbirdcl group by sending the message "subscribe scbirdcl your-name" to listserv@lists.psu.edu. The "From" field in the e-mail header should have the address of where you will be sending and receiving e-mail to or from the list. Your subscription will be confirmed with a "welcome" message with detailed instructions about using the list. After you are subscribed, you will receive a copy of every message posted to the list, and you may post your own messages to the list.

Website eBird

eBird is a citizen science project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that allows birders to share their own bird observations and find birds using other birders’ reports from around the world. The website ebird.org is used to enter and view bird observations.

Current postings to the Facebook group "State College Bird Club" may be read at www.facebook.com/scbirdcl(click on Wall in left column). Most information will concern Bird Club events such as meetings and field trips. Posting to this group requires a Facebook account.

Facebook group PA - Birds

Current postings to the Facebook group "PA - Birds" may be read at www.facebook.com by searching for "PA Birds". Posting to this group requires a Facebook account.

Listserv group PABIRDS

Current information about raptor, warbler, or water fowl migration in all parts of Pennsylvania can be found on the listserv group pabirds. You may join the pabird list (Pennsylvania Birds) by sending the message "subscribe pabirds your-name" to listserv@list.audubon.org. The "From" field in the e-mail header should have the address of where you will be sending and receiving e-mail to or from the list. Your subscription will be confirmed with a "welcome" message with detailed instructions about using the list. After you are subscribed, you will receive a copy of every message posted to the list, and you may post your own messages to the list.

Hawkwatch sightings

The organization HMANA collects data from Hawkwatch compilers from all over North America and distributes that data in a standardized format through the listserv group BIRDHAWK which may be subscribed to at HMANA. For example, compilers from Jack's Mt, Stone Mt., and Tussey Mt. Hawkwatches all send their data to HMANA. Close to the spring hawkwatch at Tussey Mt. is a fall hawkwatch at Jo Hays Vista.

Smartphone text message group for notable bird alerts in the central PA region

The purpose of the Central PA RBA group is to concisely share alerts, updates, and information on rare and unusual birds in the central PA region. Download the WhatsApp app onto your smartphone (details below), and then send an email to Alex Lamoreaux that gives your name and phone number. You will then be added to the Central PA RBA group. Messages that you or anyone else send using WhatsApp will then be sent to all members of the group.

WhatsApp is a free messenger app for smartphones that uses the internet to send messages, images, audio or video. The service is very similar to text messaging services; however, because WhatsApp uses the internet to send messages, the cost of using WhatsApp is significantly less than texting. For more details visit whatsapp.com. For installation instructions, see wikihow.com/Install-WhatsApp.