There are some exciting records being noted on Kenyabirdsnet (KBN) and I am sure many of us are tempted to head off to different parts of Kenya to go and find these great birds when we read about them. However, the problem is that those records are then as good as lost since they are not in a database form and cannot be found and used again easily. 
Over the past year, the Nature Kenya Bird Committee has been trying to promote the use of Kenya Birdfinder (KBF) database that can be used for research and for the production of a new Kenya Bird Atlas.
Here is what Loraiza Davies, the International Data Officer-WorldBirds Project of Birdlife international, has to say:
"WorldBirds has at the moment 32 systems covering 166 countries. Holding over two and a half million birds observations.  Although in some of the systems there is still room for improvement regarding uptake, there are many systems that have taken off swiftly and continue to improve the wealth of bird data available for conservation and citizen enjoyment.
We envisage that after launching the last of these 32 systems the first stage of installing new systems will be finished. So the project will continue to concentrate on improving participation by implementing a new communications strategy that will allow all of us to reach new audiences and ensure that we keep our current users interested.
Birdwatchers (and conservationists) from all over the world would consult the specific country systems when they want to know details of the avifauna in the country. They use the reports to find out the species listed for a specifics location and the last locations where one species has been recorded. They can also pull out maps with the distribution of a particular species. The data displayed on the map can be filtered per year and in this way one can see the change in species distribution over time. 
As you may know WorldBirds is being used not only to add birdwatching data but also to record the data collected during formal, structured surveys, such as Atlas surveys and Bird Population monitoring (or Common Bird Monitoring). 
An interesting piece of news concerning us all - the RSPB has now concluded the data analyses to identify the uses of WorldBirds type data and one of the findings shows that our databases can act as an early warning system of the change in bird populations for some species (rapid decline or increase). In this way, the data collected in the system help us identify species that may require further study to assess their change in status.  For example it can help us decide where to conduct the surveys. "
 Based on our commitment to this project, the Bird Committee managed to get a grant for a volunteer to transfer all the information that you had entered into kenyabirdsnet over the past many years  into the KBF database. It was a long and hard job! However, the work is now done and there is no more funding. 
But your records continue to come in, and the database is now not being updated. This is therefore another appeal for those of you who like to share your bird information, to enter it into KBF. It is not a difficult process- on return from a birding trip in western Kenya over Easter, it took me about half an hour to enter all my records for 5 different locations, and to share them with all my friends who accompanied me there. I will also send the completed lists in word or excel format to the bird guides so they can print and use them for future clients.
Finally, RSPB are looking into a system that is already being used in some countries, where interesting records from trip reports in the WorldBirds are automatically entered into a list serve such as Kenyabirdsnet. A one stop shop!
Please sent your queries and comments to me Fiona Reid at darfreid@hotmail.com
Happy Birding