Experts recommend these birding apps for beginner or skilled bird watchers
READ MORE
Read more stories about birds
From hummingbirds to cardinals, bird feeders to bird flu — here are more stories about the winged creatures we love to see in our backyards (and beyond).
Expand All
Free birding apps can make even beginner birders feel like pros. With high-tech sound technology and thousands of detailed photos, these smartphone apps can transform a simple morning walk or an afternoon outside into a productive birding outing.
The News & Observer talked with Scott Anderson (science support coordinator for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and NC Bird Atlas) and Mel Green (longtime birder who leads field trips for the New Hope Audubon Society) to learn more about free and paid apps for birders of all levels.
To find any of these smartphone apps, search for the name of the app on the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Samsung).
Free apps for beginner birders
These three free apps can help beginners identify the birds around them based on appearance, song, location and time of year:
eBird: This is the most common app for birders. Run by the Cornell Bird Lab and powered by volunteers tracking their bird sightings, you can get information about the likely birds in your area (and the rare ones). The app can also track your outing and create a shareable checklist of the birds you saw on that particular day. While this isn’t a social media app, per se, you can see top birders on leaderboards based on the number of birds logged in a specific place.
Learn more: Visit ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile.
Merlin: Also run by the Cornell Bird Lab, this revolutionary app lets you identify birds by sight and sound. Using the Sound ID feature, you can also have the app listen to the bird call, and the app will tell you which bird it likely is, based on your location. The Photo ID feature lets you snap a photo (or upload one from your camera roll), and the app will offer a short list of possible matches. This feature works offline.
Learn more: Visit merlin.allaboutbirds.org.
Audubon Bird Guide: Use the virtual field guide, using nearby birding hotspots via eBird, to help locate birds. Birders love this app for the detailed, high-quality photos.
Learn more: Visit audubon.org/app.
Apps for serious birders
Sibley Birds V2: This app is more useful for experienced birders who are trying to tell apart some of the more difficult birds. This app is based on the Sibley Guide to Birds and includes over 2,800 audio recordings and seasonal status data for every species in every state and province.
Cost: $19.99
Learn more: sibleyguides.com/product/sibley-birds-v2-app
Warbler Guide: Using visual and sound guides, this warbler-specific app can help more advanced birders tell this species of bird apart.
Cost: $12.99
Learn more: thewarblerguide.com/the-app.html
Raptor ID: This raptor-specific app, created by HawkWatch International in partnership with the Cornell Bird Lab, is intended to help identify raptors in flight.
Cost: Free (formerly $9.99).
Learn more: hawkwatch.org/participate/go-hawkwatching
This story was originally published April 4, 2023 at 12:43 PM.
