There is an urgent need to develop simple and effective methods for monitoring bird populations that are cheap to deploy in resource-poor countries. This paper describes a newly developed system, provisionally referred to as, Wordbirds, that will provide a platform for the collection, storage and retrieval of new and existing data from bird observations recorded worldwide. This Internet-based global network of databases will capture field lists and ad hoc sightings routinely gathered by individuals observing birds recreationally and professionally. Huge numbers of lists are collected annually and could provide information on population trends spanning many years. By collecting these records, a valuable resource will be secured with the potential to map and monitor bird distributions and estimate trends in species abundance.