Nestsite

Nestsite is a web-based platform for recording, organizing, and sharing data about nesting sites and nesting events of wildlife, with emphasis on birds. It provides tools for researchers, conservationists, and citizen scientists to document nest locations, species involved, dates, outcomes, and associated media.

Core features include a structured data model for nest records, geospatial tagging, support for photos, audio, and notes, and a timeline of nesting events. The platform supports search and filtering, data visualization via maps and charts, and collaboration through shared projects and roles. It also offers an API to integrate with external GIS and biodiversity databases.

Data governance and licensing: Nestsite emphasizes open data practices while allowing restricted access for sensitive sites. Data can be licensed under open licenses, and contributors receive attribution. Moderation workflows enable data verification, duplicate detection, and quality control.

Use and impact: The platform is used by universities, museums, NGOs, and citizen science groups to monitor nesting success, migratory patterns, and habitat changes. The aggregated data supports conservation planning, urban biodiversity assessments, and policy discussions.

History and landscape: Nestsite emerged in the context of growing interest in open, community-curated biodiversity data and complements established platforms by focusing on nesting ecology and site-specific outcomes. It is one of several tools in the ecosystem of wildlife data platforms.