Google Earth .kml or .kmz file with polygon in it:


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Alternatively, paste the Google Earth data here:


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Instructions

Use either Google Earth, or Google Maps API v3 Tool, to create a polygon.

If using Google Earth:
  1. Move to the area in which you want to create the polygon, zooming as close as you can while still keeping the entire area in view.
  2. In the menu, do Add → Polygon, or click the button.
  3. (Optional) Go to the "Style, Color" tab and change "Area" to "Outlined" to make it easier to see what you're doing while creating the polygon.
  4. If necessary, move the "Google Earth - New Polygon" window to the side, so that it isn't blocking your view of the map. (This will subsequently be called the "New Polygon" window.) The new window position will be remembered, so this only has to be done once.
  5. Click points on the map to create the vertices of your polygon. It's recommended that you do not click and drag, as this creates an excessive number of vertices which can only subsequently be erased one by one.
  6. Click OK in the "New Polygon" window.
  7. (Optional) To edit an already-created polygon, right-click its entry in "Places" and click "Properties" in the context menu.
  8. Either Save the polygon as a .kml or .kmz file and upload it using the first form above, or Copy the polygon and Paste it into the second form above, and then click the corresponding "Explore eBird Hotspots inside polygon" button.
If using Google Maps API v3 Tool:
  1. Select "Polygon" from the list box (it defaults to "Polyline")
  2. (Optional) To make it easier to see what you're doing while creating the polygon, use "Style Options" to change "fillOpacity" to a smaller value, click "Click here to save style changes", then click the X.
  3. Create the polygon.
  4. Click the "Select and copy text" button (or use whichever method you like to Select All within the area with "Live code presentation in textarea" printed above it).
  5. Press Ctrl+C (or do whatever copies to the clipboard on your system).
  6. Go back to this page and Paste into the second form above, and then click the corresponding "Explore eBird Hotspots inside polygon" button.
Important: It is recommended that you use this tool in a Private Window / incognito window, or without being logged onto ebird.org, because being signed in on ebird.org can interfere with viewing a Bar Chart that includes non-hotspot locations, causing the chart to be severely lacking in data (and sometimes even blank).

Note: Integration of this tool with a Google Maps API polygon-drawing interface is planned. This will be a third method of entering the polygon (the .kml/.kmz upload and copy-paste methods will be preserved).

The current algorithm does not currently properly handle polygons that cross the antimeridian, and polygons' sides are assumed to be straight in an equirectangular projection (rather than being rhumb line segments to be consistent with Google Maps, or geodesics to be consistent with Google Earth). Neither of these things should have any effect on practical usage of this polygon tool.

History of changes made to eBird Polygon Tool