New Hampshire Bird Alerts

What is Rare?

The New Hampshire Bird Alert GroupMe is a group message platform to be used for the sharing sightings of rare birds seen within NH. This platform has advantages of speed and efficiency, allowing for quick group collaboration in finding rare birds. Please read the following rules and all instructions before joining.

Group Rules and Suggestions:

1) Messages must be concise, non-redundant, and only about rare birds.

-Restating which species and location you are referencing in each post will help reduce confusion.

2) When you join the group, immediately click the heart (♡) button on any message (otherwise the app will remove you). (As of 2023, this GroupMe setting appears to have been removed, but is left here just in case.)

3) Please don’t post comments like “Thanks” or “Hello!” Given the size of the group and high number of posts, cutting down on superfluous chatter will make this a lot easier to use. You can always just ‘like’ a post by tapping the heart (♡) to show your appreciation.

-You can send people direct messages through this app if you have questions for them, tapping on their avatar should open a private message.

4) Please do not post about sensitive species in this chat. For NH this list is essentially "owls." While the vast majority of birders are birding responsibly and ethically, owls have a history of bringing out undesirable traits in people who want to see and photograph these birds. For more information, please refer to ebird's article on the subject, which can be found here.

How to Join:

First, please download the GroupMe app to your phone if you can (available via Google Play or iOS App Store). Using the app will make your experience (and everyone else’s) much easier.

If you cannot download the app: the web browser version of GroupMe (GroupMe.com) is far more reliable than the SMS text commands. If you do not have the GroupMe app on your phone and are joining via SMS texting (often on a non-smartphone/"dumbphone"), please use your web browser to manage all personal settings. This includes how you receive alerts from GroupMe. See the section below: “Too many notifications?”

To join the New Hampshire Bird Alert GroupMe, go to:
https://groupme.com/join_group/98092884/POyDQeE1

Too many notifications?

1) Navigate to GroupMe.com and log in, or launch the GroupMe mobile app
2) From the chats panel, select this group
3) Click on this group’s thumbnail image at the top
4) Click on ⚙️ Settings
5) Find Mute and click the gray toggle switch
6) Select “always”
7) If the Mute toggle switch turned blue with a check mark, you’re all set. Otherwise, start over

How to Leave:

Please contact the admins directly if you are running into issues or have any questions.. Both admins (James Smith and Cameron Johnson) can be directly messaged by clicking on their names in the members list (they will always be at the top of the list) and hitting "Send a DM."

Many thanks to Doug Hitchcox for letting us use the Maine RBA GroupMe text, itself an adaption provided by Gates Dupont, the moderator of the Massachusetts RBA GroupMe.