AI-made bird photos threaten accuracy of citizen-science records

AI-generated and edited bird photos are flooding online forums, raising concerns that fake or altered images could contaminate citizen-science databases (like iNaturalist and Macaulay Library) and misreport species’ ranges. While outright hoaxes are rare, AI edits can introduce traits from other species—for example, a red-winged blackbird appearance in Brazil—prompting researchers to urge caution and stricter verification to preserve data quality.