Birdwatching Log Site Species Checklist Export

WHAT IT DOES

This script scans birdwatching log pages and species checklist sites—eBird, iNaturalist, eBird hotspots, and others—for species entries including common name, scientific name, count, location, date, and notes. It displays a floating panel showing a summary of the checklist with total species, families, statuses (seen/heard/photographed), and total bird counts. A one-click export function saves the checklist as CSV, plain text, or JSON. The script captures all species data and includes them in the export. Users can filter species by family, status, or date range before exporting. Export preferences are stored per domain for reuse across visits.

WHERE IT RUNS

Works on any birdwatching log page or species checklist site—eBird checklists, iNaturalist observations, eBird hotspots, or any page displaying bird species with names, counts, and location data. The script detects species entries using common name patterns (two capitalized words) and other metadata, making it compatible with most birding platforms.

HOW TO USE

The panel appears automatically when you visit a checklist page. It detects species and shows a summary with total species, families, statuses, and total bird count. Choose your export format: CSV (.csv), Plain Text (.txt), or JSON (.json). Click "Export Checklist" to download the file. Click "Copy to Clipboard" to copy the formatted content directly. CSV format is useful for spreadsheets and data analysis. Plain text provides a human-readable summary with all details. JSON format preserves structured data for programmatic use. Use "Save Current Settings" to remember your format preference for future visits. The script automatically detects common names, scientific names (in parentheses), counts, family names, locations, dates, and status (seen/heard/photographed).

TECHNICAL MECHANISM: SPECIES ENTRY DETECTION WITH METADATA EXTRACTION AND MULTI-FORMAT EXPORT

The script uses a multi-pass detection strategy to find species entries. It searches for common species containers (.species, .checklist-item, .sighting, .bird-entry) and falls back to scanning table rows, list items, and divs that contain two-word capitalized bird names (e.g., "Northern Cardinal"). For each entry, it extracts the common name using a regex pattern for two capitalized words (optionally three), the scientific name from parentheses, the count from numeric patterns, the family from "Family: [Name]" patterns, the location from "Location: [Name]" patterns, the date from date patterns, and the status by checking for keywords (heard, photographed, recorded). The script also calculates summary statistics: total species, unique families, status distribution, and total bird count. The CSV export generates a header row with all fields. The text export generates a structured human-readable format. The JSON export preserves all fields as structured data. Export preferences are stored per domain using GM_setValue with the format preference persisted.

THE PANEL

The species checklist exporter appears in a draggable, resizable panel that remembers its position per site. The panel shows the checklist summary, format selector, and export buttons. Drag by the header to reposition, collapse to a compact icon with a click, and resize using the bottom-right corner. The panel snaps to screen edges for tidy placement and closes with the Escape key. All settings—format preference and panel position—persist per website using GM_setValue, so your view returns exactly as you left it.

PLEASE NOTE

This script requires the free BotGentz extension to run. The script relies on common bird checklist page structures—if a platform uses a non-standard layout, species detection may be incomplete. The common name detection uses a pattern of two capitalized words; species with non-standard names may not be detected. The scientific name extraction looks for names in parentheses; if a platform uses a different format, it may be missed. The script does not access your birding account credentials or modify your checklist data—all data is read from the visible page and exported locally. The script is designed for exporting checklists, not for uploading or modifying data on the server.