Discover a New World of Birdwatching with Google Street View Map

Have you ever dreamt of traveling the world to see the most exotic birds, from the Torrent Ducks of Peru to the Ivory Gulls of the Arctic? Imagine witnessing Cobb’s Wrens in the Falkland Islands or majestic condors soaring in the Andes, all without leaving your home. This might sound like a fantasy, but with the help of Google Street View Map, it’s becoming a reality for a growing community of virtual birdwatchers.

Google Street View, a feature within Google Maps, offers panoramic street-level views from around the globe. It’s an expansive digital atlas, covering over 10 million miles of roads and trails across more than 80 countries. While many initially used Google Street View Map to find their homes or explore distant streets, a unique group of enthusiasts has discovered its potential for an entirely different purpose: birdwatching.

The Unexpected Hobby: Google Street View Birding

The concept of “Google Street View Birding” might seem unusual at first. You navigate through streets and landscapes on your computer, hoping to spot birds in their natural habitats. The experience is filled with its own set of challenges and rewards. Vast stretches of scenery appear empty, requiring patience and a keen eye to find avian life. When you do spot a bird, it often appears as a small, indistinct speck, a testament to the limitations of the Street View cameras in capturing wildlife. Furthermore, the time lapse between each panoramic image means that a bird visible in one frame might vanish in the next, adding an element of fleeting discovery to the virtual pursuit.

Despite these challenges, the thrill of discovery keeps Google Street View birders engaged. Early pioneers of this digital birding method, like the author of the original article, began sharing their findings online. Initially, sightings included common species like Laughing Gulls in Florida and Great Egrets in Texas. As Google Street View Map technology evolved, incorporating backpack-mounted cameras for pedestrian views, new possibilities emerged. Explorations of places like Midway Atoll and the Falkland Islands revealed incredible virtual birding locations.

![Laughing Gull perched on a post, seen through Google Street View.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Yf9s4m7F45M-jyyGSgQ_g4tgSjY3iF1w9j7X_3Rl1qL7g9u916GjW9qV_UvJ_v3vCj5-X8w5aW9v8L7nZ_b6v9-2v3v-3v3v-3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v3v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