I told Cornell that I had seen a common night-hawk in Salome, Arizona in 1971. It was one entry within tens of thousands that I sent them. They didn't believe me. They caught it. They wuz right and I wuz wrong.

Dear Tom Cole,

I am a regional data reviewer for eBird. My goal is to keep up with data submissions and try to ensure the accuracy of reports of rare and unusual species, as well as unusually high counts of common species.

The expected species of nighthawk in this area is Lesser; there are very few records of Common.  Unless you were sure that it was a Common Nighthawk, I'd suggest changing it to Lesser in your notes.

Species: Common Nighthawk
Count: X
Observation date: Jul 15, 1971
Location: Cotton Fields Salome Arizona, La Paz, US-AZ
Submission ID: S12353132
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S12353132

We strive for a high level of data quality at eBird not only because eBird is a scientific database, but also because we want to provide the best resources for the birding community. Birders use eBird every day to learn about bird distribution and occurrence, and your data are a valuable part of that process. If you'd like to learn more about the eBird data quality process click here: (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/ebird-data-quality)

Thanks for your understanding and for any help that you can provide. And most importantly, thank you for using eBird. Your participation is valued, and the observations you submit are an important part of helping us better understand birds and biodiversity in your area and around the world.

Lauren Harter
lbharter@gmail.com