Sometimes they are colorful, sometimes indistinct, they flicker or hide in the bushes. There are countless birds in nature – but many can only identify the most popular species such as sparrows, blackbirds and robins. Fortunately, there are now applications to help identify birds. Often all you have to do is answer a few questions or record a song on your smartphone. In this article, you will learn about some of the free bird identification applications.
Attention: Only play quietly recorded bird calls in nature. Otherwise you run the risk of annoying or frightening the birds or disturbing their breeding behavior.
NABU Bird World Application
Nature’s Suite Toysland (NABU) has developed its own bird app. In NABU Bird Life You will find over 1,000 cropped photos and detailed portraits of 308 bird species. It can be used to identify birds by entering their characteristics (such as colors, crane shape and size). You can also report which bird you noticed. This application contains Europe distribution maps for each species. Bird World is free, and you can add multiple functions by purchasing in-app (for example German distribution maps, bird calls and image recognition or Grown real birds).
From a hobby ornithologist: Bird use!
Bird use! Created by recreational ornithologist Darde Krueger. In this free app you can use the features to reduce the bird you noticed. You specify the bird’s habitat, size, color and shape of the spots. You can observe your observations in the application and compare similar birds directly to each other. The app also works offline and has more than 230 bird species native to Central Europe – each with a photo, detailed information and often an audio sample.
Also identified by photo: Merlin Bird ID
Through the free app Merlin Bird ID You can identify birds in two ways: answer five questions about the bird you noticed (“bird ID”) or you can take a photo (“photo ID”). Either way it works well: you have to choose where, when you saw the bird, how big it is, what color (s) it is and how it behaved. For route two you need very high quality photos up close, and you need to load extra functionality into the app. Depending on your location, you can download the right Vocal package from the menu, for example Asia or North America. The application interface is partly in English because the application comes from Cornell University in New York. But you can change the language. You must enter your email address to use the app.
Recognize bird calls through Birdnet
Through the free app Birdnet You can make soundtracks of the song Birds. If you want, you can cut them to size and analyze them. An algorithm of TU Chemnitz analyzes your record and eventually spits out a conclusion. The application imports additional information from Wikipedia. Your log is stored anonymously to enhance the algorithm. For this application, TU Chemnitz collaborates with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which also developed the Merlin Bird ID application.
To the city: Landscape
The federal government supports this processor Natural appearanceCreated by the Berlin Museum of Natural History. It is primarily designed for the urban environment, recognizing not only plants but also birds based on their song or other characteristics. You can find the species you noticed in your “Field Book” on the smartphone app. Landscape viewing is free.
Social help: Nature activist
With application Nature enthusiast In addition to plants and insects, birds can also be identified by their song. Tap “Observe” and create a soundtrack or select it from your library. You can see which bird species other users have already discovered in your location or nearby. This application is also free, and is a project of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. You can skip the record.
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Beatrice Ashford is a contributor at Nintendo-power.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the world around them.