Best Apps for Birding with Kids
Apr. 4, 2019 Lindsay Glasner
Put the best tools for birding right in your pocket. These apps offer comprehensive information on bird identification, observation recording, and field guides. Explore which ones are right for you and your kids.
eBird Mobile App
If you are looking for a convenient and paperless way to log your bird sightings, consider the eBird mobile app. Going digital with your checklists means more birdwatching and less fumbling for paper. With eBird, track and upload your sightings from the field or at home. It offers exact location pinning using your phone’s GPS, wifi or data. Then, easily export your lists to share across social media platforms.
To start, simply sign in with your eBird account and submit any observations.
Free for iOS and Android users.
In-App Purchases: No
Sign-up Required: Yes
Merlin
Merlin Bird ID helps you answer “What’s that bird?” “in 5 questions, or with a photo of a bird.” The learning algorithm uses your photo, location, and date to identify over 3,500 bird species. It’s like magic!
Merlin also enables you to explore field guides in any region by downloading bird-packs. Listen to beautiful calls, examine bird distributions, and enjoy high-quality photos, even offline.
Free for iOS and Android users.
In-App Purchases: No
Sign-up Required: No
Audubon Bird Guide
Audubon Birds offers a guide with 800+ species, over 3,000 images, 8 hours of bird sounds for North American birds. After creating your account, you have access to bird ID help, an eBird-integrated explore section, and field guide. Users are also encouraged to share their own bird sightings lists and photos with other Audubon users. The app’s sleek design makes it fun and easy to use. Plus, no in-app purchases!
Free for Android and iOS users.
In-App Purchases: No
Sign-up Required: Yes
BirdsEye Bird Finding Guide
The free version provides photos, behavior and population statistics on 1,000+ birds across North America. You can view seasonal populations, recent eBird sightings near your location, and create/import your own lists.
The subscription-based version ranges from $2.50/month for North America and $4.00/month for the global membership. The additional features include, “Rare Bird Alert” which notifies you of a rare bird near you, offline use, and unlimited favorite locations.
Free for iOS and Android users.
In-App Purchases: Yes
Sign-up Required: Yes
EyeLoveBirds
EyeLoveBirds is a simple birding app. With detailed profiles of common species, high quality photos, and bird calls, it is a great tool for the beginning birder.
However, user must purchase each regional bird pack separately, each ranging from $0.99 – $4.99
Free for iOS users.
In-App Purchases: Yes
Sign-up Required: No
The following apps are not free.
iBird Pro
iBird Pro is a comprehensive, offline guide for all North American species, with supplements for other countries including UK and Hawaii. iBird offers both illustrations and photos for each species and over 4,000 bird calls and vocalizations,
This app also has a birding search engine that allows users to search for up to 35 characteristics, and an in-app purchase, Photo Sleuth, helps you identify birds with photo recognition.
Price: $14.99 for iOS, Android, and Windows users.
The iBird Lite app for iOS and Android is free.
In-App Purchases: Yes
Sign-up Required: No
Sibley Birds (Version 2)
Sibley Birds has comprehensive information on over 930 North American species, including iconic artwork of David Sibley, distribution maps, and descriptions.
The app also allows users to compare two species, see related species and the conservation status of every bird in a given location
Cost: $19.99 for iOS and Android users.
In-App Purchases: No
Sign-up Required: No
How are these apps working for you? Do you use an app not listed here? Let us know below!
Please note: Apps are constantly developing and the prices here may not reflect their current status. Always check pricing before purchasing.