Every state and most provinces in the western United States and Canada have a bird records committee (BRC). Th committees receive thousands of reports of rare birds from the birding community each year. Th goals of each committee are to assess the identifiation, origin, date, and location of the rare birds reported, as well as to maintain the checklist for each state. In addition, each committee communicates records of rare bird sightings to the public through publications in journals and through the committee’s website. Th wealth of information found on each website can be used by researchers and birders alike. Ths review focuses on the websites of the eleven bird records committees in the western states and provinces and discusses how each website allows observers to submit documentation of rare birds and how effctively it conveys these records.