Privacy warning! Novices beware of birders at your door – eBird Review

I spotted a rare bird for my locality, and was pleased to contribute my data to the database. Or so I thought, until a couple of hours later my doorbell rang. I was caught off-guard by a couple of birders. I was a bit flummoxed but said they could visit my backyard to try to see the bird, which I’d seen for 3 days in a row. I left them and went back to my work, and I later found a note indicating they had indeed seen the bird. Trouble is, they had used a recorded bird song to lure the bird. I am just getting into birding, but I question the ethics. I offer food and water, but would not consider using a false call to lure a bird, especially an isolated bird that may be far, far from home. I turned away subsequent birders and quickly changed my privacy settings, which should be Anonymous by default — but are not. Check your privacy settings before submitting any sighting data! Incidentally I never saw the bird again.
Review by Notta Realname on eBird.