New eBird/iPhone app puts local knowledge in your pocket

Here comes another leap forward in knowing where to go birding: the BirdsEye iPhone app. Combining the huge data stores and mapping abilities of eBird, photos from VIREO, sounds from the Cornell Lab’s Macaulay Library, and descriptions from Kenn Kaufman, BirdsEye can help you plan your birding outings on the fly.

Ever since the days of rare bird hotlines and birding listservs we’ve been getting better and faster at telling each other where our best sightings are. BirdsEye now lets you tap into any species recently reported to eBird in North America north of Mexico, making it useful to beginners and hardcore listers alike. (The eBird sightings database, a joint project of the Cornell Lab and Audubon, gets upwards of 1 million reports per month.)

BirdsEye allows you to choose your location and browse maps of nearby sightings reported in the last few weeks—it even tells you how long ago the last sighting was. Or you can choose a species and find out if it’s been seen near you recently. You can even get directions to it. As developer Todd Koym says, “It’s like having thousands of local birding experts in your pocket.”

Once you’re out birding, BirdsEye gives you resources to identify the birds you’re looking for. You can see photos of each species, listen to recordings of the birds singing and calling, and read tips on behavior and habitat written especially for the app by birding veteran Kenn Kaufman. You can use BirdsEye to keep track of your life list (and the app will even tell you how many birds near you would be lifers!).

BirdsEye is on sale now on the App Store, and it works on both iPhone and iPod touch. For $19.99 you get information, sounds, and photos for 470 frequently seen North American species. You can upgrade to the full complement of 847 species for another $19.99—or purchase groups of species like warblers and hawks at smaller increments, according to a nice review of BirdsEye at Birder’s World magazine.

BirdsEye is produced by Birds in the Hand LLC of Virginia. Portions of BirdsEye sales go back to the Cornell Lab to help support our research, education, and citizen science projects, and to the Academy of Natural Sciences to support VIREO, the world’s largest collection of bird photographs.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, iPod touch, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

This entry was written by admin, posted on December 3, 2009 at 11:13 am, filed under Birds, products. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

76 Comments

  1. Julie
    Posted December 3, 2009 at 11:23 am | Permalink

    Any plans for adapting the app for Blackberry?

  2. Jewel
    Posted December 6, 2009 at 10:37 pm | Permalink

    How about making this available for “the droid?”

  3. Dyanne
    Posted December 7, 2009 at 12:22 pm | Permalink

    Will this stay as only an Apple app; or are there plans for the other players, such as Zune?

  4. AJ upstateNY
    Posted December 9, 2009 at 12:47 pm | Permalink

    I also want this for my Droid! And I want it NOW! LOL

  5. Mary Guthrie
    Posted December 9, 2009 at 4:35 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for the interest in development for other platforms. Our development partner has committed to creating the next version as a way to enter eBird sightings into our database, so I think they’ll tackle that next. They are keeping track of which platforms are most requested, so keep voting for your own smart phone!

  6. peter sibley
    Posted December 11, 2009 at 3:07 pm | Permalink

    Droid! Droid! Droid!

  7. Ann Birder
    Posted December 13, 2009 at 9:16 am | Permalink

    Please adapt this app for the droid. What a great tool.

  8. Allan Bowdery
    Posted December 22, 2009 at 5:54 pm | Permalink

    My vote is also for the Droid.

  9. AJ upstateNY
    Posted December 22, 2009 at 7:19 pm | Permalink

    GBBC coming up February 12-15, 2010! This app on my Driod would be great for that count! Hurry, Hurry, Droid,Droid!

  10. Chad Williams
    Posted December 22, 2009 at 9:55 pm | Permalink

    Yes, please work on the this for the Android Platform!!!

  11. Linda
    Posted December 25, 2009 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

    Would like to pinpoint locations of birds I see in the iPhone app. Will that be added in the future?? Ebird is very hard on the iPhone but would be so great for pinpointing locations when out and about… Or am I missing a function??

  12. Rhoda
    Posted December 27, 2009 at 3:24 pm | Permalink

    Please adapt this application for the Blackbeery Tour.

  13. Therese
    Posted December 27, 2009 at 7:50 pm | Permalink

    I vote for an adaptation for the Droid!

  14. Lori Rogers
    Posted December 28, 2009 at 11:21 am | Permalink

    Android please!!

  15. Mike I.
    Posted December 30, 2009 at 10:41 am | Permalink

    Android for sure!!!! And Palm Pre is my second choice.

  16. steve engler
    Posted December 31, 2009 at 1:48 am | Permalink

    Motorola Droid in my pocket – needs BirdsEye! Please! Thanks!

  17. Mike Crim
    Posted December 31, 2009 at 3:17 am | Permalink

    The sooner you get Birds Eye on Droid the better- please put my name on an email notification list-thanks-Mike

  18. sarah
    Posted January 1, 2010 at 9:26 pm | Permalink

    This will be a factor in picking my next phone/plan — looking forward to it!

  19. mike
    Posted January 1, 2010 at 9:42 pm | Permalink

    I hope this is develpped for Droid application. A real void exists in the market now.

  20. Nancy
    Posted January 4, 2010 at 6:53 pm | Permalink

    I already love my new iPhone and now I can’t wait to put ebird on it!

  21. iphone clone
    Posted January 6, 2010 at 8:23 am | Permalink

    This is great! I Love Iphone. Recently I saw a good iphone clone. He also supports the compass and emap. Chinese fellows

  22. JP
    Posted January 10, 2010 at 3:35 pm | Permalink

    Droid!!

  23. Ty
    Posted January 11, 2010 at 3:29 pm | Permalink

    This would be a fantastic addition to the Android app catalog – especially for all those new Droid/Nexus One users!

  24. Jean Phillip
    Posted January 12, 2010 at 4:42 pm | Permalink

    Amazing feature of birdseye.

    This plan is simply cool. Thank you for sharing!

  25. David
    Posted January 13, 2010 at 11:21 am | Permalink

    Please develop for the Motorola Droid today!

  26. Opinion Deviche
    Posted January 18, 2010 at 3:24 pm | Permalink

    I like this page, it is very similar to the subject i’m dealing with at my space. keep up the good job… devi,

  27. Sean Et Cetera
    Posted January 20, 2010 at 7:51 pm | Permalink

    I’d like to see it on the Droid.

  28. Lori Rogers
    Posted January 22, 2010 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    Droid please!! And soon! There is no app available for the droid for birders yet and that’s a big gap in my opinion…

  29. Dawn Zuengler
    Posted January 27, 2010 at 1:45 pm | Permalink

    My blackberry is one day old – and it needs the BirdsEye app ASAP!! (please)

  30. Sarah Bryan Miller
    Posted January 27, 2010 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

    I’d love to have it on my Palm Centro.

  31. Atul
    Posted February 1, 2010 at 5:42 am | Permalink

    Hi can we add our data directly on this?

  32. Julie Johnson
    Posted February 3, 2010 at 2:54 pm | Permalink

    Droid, please. Pretty please. And soon, please. TIA

  33. Arthur
    Posted February 6, 2010 at 1:01 pm | Permalink

    Another vote for Droid

  34. Gerhard
    Posted February 6, 2010 at 1:10 pm | Permalink

    I vote for an adaptation for the Droid!

  35. Ken
    Posted February 7, 2010 at 10:40 pm | Permalink

    I’d like to see this for the Droid too.

  36. Best iPhone Apps
    Posted February 9, 2010 at 11:35 am | Permalink

    Thanks for the great post!

    I am not personally a birdwatcher, but this app certainly makes me want to give it a try. In fact I’ve already downloaded it and plan to use it this coming weekend here in California.

    We have already reviewed this app on the AppShouter as well, please check it out.

  37. mfox
    Posted February 9, 2010 at 2:28 pm | Permalink

    Yet Another enthusiastic vote for DROID compatability.

  38. Debra
    Posted February 10, 2010 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    Bird lover and Droid owner needs this app for my Droid. Vote Droid!

  39. John Kennington
    Posted February 10, 2010 at 6:44 pm | Permalink

    Palm Pre PLEASE!!!!

  40. Gregg
    Posted February 11, 2010 at 9:53 am | Permalink

    Our company develops writes iPhone app’s would like to discuss adding a feature to BirdsEye with you & your developer. Could you have someone contact us via email, please?

    -Digital Phenomena

  41. Adam Sedgley
    Posted February 16, 2010 at 8:48 pm | Permalink

    Please help out us avian-deprived Droid owner/operators! We would GREATLY appreciate it!

  42. Dick
    Posted February 25, 2010 at 1:17 am | Permalink

    Droid App Please!

  43. Karel santral
    Posted March 12, 2010 at 7:37 am | Permalink

    nice. thanks for sharing…

  44. George Anderson
    Posted March 17, 2010 at 8:58 am | Permalink

    Please hurry up the adaptation of Birds Eye for the Droid.

    I would love to have it for my Texas birding trip the 3rd of June 2010.

    Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

  45. Bruce
    Posted March 18, 2010 at 1:49 pm | Permalink

    Another enthusiastic vote for Droid compatibility. Birders everywhere will flock to this app.

    Please put my e-mail on the notification list.

    Thank You!

  46. Hugh Jarvis
    Posted March 31, 2010 at 1:56 pm | Permalink

    Another vote for Android, specifically the Eris. Thanks!

  47. Mike
    Posted April 2, 2010 at 4:13 pm | Permalink

    DROID, please!

  48. joeybird
    Posted April 5, 2010 at 4:14 pm | Permalink

    Droid Needs.

  49. Lewis
    Posted April 5, 2010 at 4:23 pm | Permalink

    Another enthusiastic vote for BirdsEye on the Droid! Would be indispensable…

  50. Michael
    Posted April 5, 2010 at 11:22 pm | Permalink

    Begging for Android!!!

  51. Ricky
    Posted April 10, 2010 at 9:52 am | Permalink

    Please make this app for the Droid, because the Droid Does!

  52. Angela C. Herschel
    Posted April 23, 2010 at 1:25 am | Permalink

    Blackberry Blackberry we NEED THIS and bird ID too!! Yes an App for birding for the Blackberry too !!

  53. carol
    Posted April 23, 2010 at 12:18 pm | Permalink

    Droid!! Yes!!

  54. Roxanna Deane
    Posted May 22, 2010 at 8:28 am | Permalink

    I need this for my Droid. What a great program to have in my pocket.

  55. Steve Chesney
    Posted May 23, 2010 at 3:07 pm | Permalink

    I sure hope the Blackberry Bold will get an eBird app.

  56. Becky Clark
    Posted June 6, 2010 at 3:31 pm | Permalink

    Droid vote here too! I have an Ipod touch but MUCH prefer the ease of Droid and the Verizon 3g network means I could look live info while in the field

  57. Edward Russell
    Posted June 9, 2010 at 3:36 pm | Permalink

    Another vote for Android support …

  58. Debi
    Posted July 2, 2010 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

    Droid me PLEASE!!!

  59. tom rowland
    Posted July 3, 2010 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    plz put my name on the email list for when this app is available for the droid.

  60. Karen Horn
    Posted July 6, 2010 at 10:37 pm | Permalink

    Another one for Android!

  61. Kathy Kellner
    Posted July 11, 2010 at 6:18 pm | Permalink

    Another vote for the Droid please.

  62. Carol Langford
    Posted August 23, 2010 at 6:44 pm | Permalink

    Please, I need Birdseye for a DROID.

  63. Jen
    Posted September 1, 2010 at 2:56 am | Permalink

    Droid, would love to download a birder app

  64. Amar
    Posted September 5, 2010 at 2:13 am | Permalink

    DROID! PUHLEESE?

  65. Dick Beery
    Posted September 10, 2010 at 3:02 pm | Permalink

    Droid soon please

  66. Barb Dalderis
    Posted September 25, 2010 at 8:47 pm | Permalink

    I bought BirdsEye for my iTouch and have used it extensively around the US. Now I have a Droid phone and would love to have it for my phone.

    When will you make the app for the Verizon Droid

  67. k
    Posted October 31, 2010 at 7:33 pm | Permalink

    droid…soonest.

  68. jeffrey707
    Posted November 20, 2010 at 2:41 pm | Permalink

    I’ll add my name to the long list of requesters.. .Droid, please.

  69. Fred Johnson
    Posted February 13, 2011 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    Keep it on iPhone and just make updates to it. I want to see the ability to enter birds straight to ebird with it!

    DROIDS FAIL! THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE THE SAME INTERFACE AS IPHONES SO WHY GET THEM?

  70. dave
    Posted February 23, 2011 at 3:00 pm | Permalink

    Droid app please

  71. jk
    Posted March 7, 2011 at 6:47 pm | Permalink

    I’m curious about this app, but it’s too expensive. If the lite version were free, it might show me the value of the paid version, but too much of a gamble as it is. There are not a lot of active eBird’ers in my area, so I’m not sure if this would be of any value to me.

  72. Hugh
    Posted March 11, 2011 at 7:03 pm | Permalink

    Hey all you Droid fans—rumors are swirling that BirdsEye will make its Droid debut later this spring. Also up: list sharing and world eBird data entry. Find more information at Laura Kammermeier’s blog post for the ABA: http://bit.ly/eIwUdG Good birding!

  73. NS
    Posted May 6, 2011 at 5:07 pm | Permalink

    Spring is almost over. Any news? :-)

  74. melanie
    Posted July 28, 2011 at 11:41 pm | Permalink

    looking for the program in the droid format please :)

  75. Harold Newman
    Posted September 23, 2011 at 5:44 pm | Permalink

    I vote for Droid too

  76. Hugh
    Posted September 23, 2011 at 5:56 pm | Permalink

    Thanks to all the Droid users who keep checking in. Just to reiterate, BirdsEye is not developed by the Cornell Lab, so we can’t really control its release schedule. I know the developers are interested in expanding to Droid, but I don’t know their schedule. There’s a bit more in this O’Reilly interview from last year: http://radar.oreilly.com/2010/09/a-bird-app-that-adapts-on-t.html

One Trackback

  1. By eBird + Cornell Lab + Kenn + iPhone on December 6, 2009 at 10:27 pm

    [...] New eBird/iPhone app puts local knowledge in your pocket. [...]

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