# Hear Birds Again — For Birders with Hearing Loss

> Pitch-lowering app for bird songs to aid hearing loss. (iPhone/iPad app by Miracle of Nature, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hear-birds-again/id6444369779 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Miracle of Nature, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1654237755)
- Category: Lifestyle
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 12 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2022-12-03
- Data updated: 2026-06-01
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hear-birds-again/id6444369779/reviews.md

## What is Hear Birds Again?

Hear Birds Again is a free, open-source iOS mobile application for bird enthusiasts who suffer from high frequency hearing loss and desire to once again enjoy the uplifting songs of wild birds. It works by using advanced algorithms to lower the pitch of bird songs in real time, thereby making them audible during walks in nature. 

The Problem: High Frequency Hearing Loss

As we grow older, we experience diminished sensitivity to high frequency sounds. Youthful hearing extends as high as 20,000 Hz (Hz = cycles/second). However, the average person over fifty or sixty years of age (especially among men) has completely lost the very highest frequencies and often suffers significant hearing loss in the range from 4,000 to 10,000 Hz. Loss of hearing with age, a condition technically referred to as “presbycusis,” is a widespread phenomenon that seemingly cannot be avoided. This is NOT good news for aging birdwatchers for the simple reason that most birds (especially songbirds) are difficult to spot and are generally discovered and identified by hearing their songs.

The average frequency of the songs of songbirds is around 3500 to 4000 Hz, approximately the same pitch as the highest note of a piano. Many warblers, sparrows, waxwings, kinglets, and a number of other birds produce sounds that reach 8,000 Hz and above. It follows that significant hearing loss above around 3000 Hz spells disaster for those interested in birding by ear, making it nearly impossible to hear the songs of a great number of species in normal outdoor situations. This can be especially painful for older people who are new to birding, many of whom quickly discover that they cannot hear what “most everyone else is raving about” and are thus unable to share in the excitement.

Solutions:

Conventional amplifying-type hearing aids may be a good solution if one's hearing loss in the high range is mild. Unfortunately, many birders have more severe loss that is not easily solved by making them louder. High amplification can be very annoying because other environmental sounds, such as the sound made by walking in leaves, are also amplified, leading to sensory overload. In addition, to avoid deafening feedback squeal, amplifying aids must usually be fitted so tightly that they plug the ears, blocking one's normal hearing. Furthermore, when bird songs are amplified to very high levels, they can easily overwhelm the senses, and it becomes difficult if not impossible to actually find and locate the birds.

Our pitch-lowering solution sidesteps these problems by lowering the bird songs into the range where one's hearing is normal or near-normal. The pitch-lowered songs are transparently mixed with what one is naturally hearing. Furthermore, by using our recommended open-air "binaural" headset (which is equipped with super low-noise mics), a realistic three-dimensional sound field is preserved, allowing for soft and distant sounds to be heard and the singers to be located and observed. Extraneous sounds like the rustle of leaves or the snapping of twigs will not be annoying. There will be no uncomfortable plugging of the ears. Sensory overload will be completely avoided, feedback squeal will not occur, and the overall effect will be gentle, natural and spacious. 

For bird enthusiasts who suffer from moderate to severe high frequency hearing loss but who still have fairly normal hearing up to around 2000-2500Hz, Hear Birds Again, when used in conjunction with a well-designed binaural headset, will provide an excellent solution to the problem of bringing back the high singing birds.

## Key features

- Real-time pitch lowering of bird songs
- Addresses high-frequency hearing loss
- Enhances bird identification by sound
- Open-air binaural headset compatibility
- Preserves 3D sound field

## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hear-birds-again/id6444369779/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Disappointing results

*2024-06-23, version 1.0.1*

A really great idea, and I wish I could say something more positive about this. I tried using this with an iPad and Bose Bluetooth headphones with built in microphone(s). But, the app seemed only to see the microphone in the iPad itself and there seemed to be no way of changing that. Most apps (Skype, Zoom, FaceTime) usually see the Bose headphone’s microphones directly. Nonetheless, I thought is should still work reasonably well with the microphone in the iPad. The problem then is that the range of birdsong I hear in the headphones is reduced, and a poorer quality version if what I normally hear with just my poor hearing, be it relayed though the headphones in “alert” mode or no headphones at all.

If the developer would like to respond with a solution, I’d be pleased to revise this review.

### 3/5 — Promising, But Needs More Work

*2024-05-19*

Intended as a replacement for a no longer made device called Songfinder, it does what it says it will do.  That is, it can lower the pitch of bird songs and calls by an octave or more to help people like me with high frequency hearing loss hear birds again. It is designed for a wired headset with stereo microphones, but can work with an iPhone's built in  microphone.

I was disappointed to find that it does not support MFi hearing devices.  In fact, if you wear MFi hearing devices with audio routing of media to hearing devices set to Always, or Auto, the app does not work.  It would be much more useful to me if it would work with MFi hearing devices. Supposedly, it works with wireless devices such as Airpods, but they are not recommended by the app maker.

Another slight disappoihtment was that if you  use the Merlin app for bird sound identification, the Hear Birds Again app will shut off and and have to be restarted when you are done with Merlin.

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2023-09-18, version 1.0.1*

Downloaded the app having been aware of “SongFinder”. Used it with standard earphones and the iPhone microphones, great. Bought second hand Ambeo headset from the bay on the strength of the initial test and love the results. Will undoubtedly progress to bespoke kit shortly. Only issue is I get much less done in the garden now as I keep stopping to listen to the birds!

### 5/5 — It really works!

*2023-01-02*

Just installed it on my iPhone 11. I didn’t even know what I was missing! Works with the phone microphone and AirPods .

## Frequently asked questions about Hear Birds Again

### What is Hear Birds Again?

Hear Birds Again is a free iOS application designed to help people with high-frequency hearing loss enjoy bird songs. It works by lowering the pitch of bird sounds in real-time so they can be heard more easily.

### How does Hear Birds Again help with hearing loss?

The app specifically targets high-frequency hearing loss, a common issue with age. By lowering the pitch of bird songs, it makes them audible in the frequency ranges where users still have normal or near-normal hearing.

### Can Hear Birds Again be used with any headphones?

While the app can be used with various audio devices, it is recommended to use an open-air binaural headset with low-noise microphones. This type of headset helps preserve a realistic three-dimensional sound field for better sound localization.

### Is Hear Birds Again suitable for identifying all bird species?

The app is designed to make bird songs audible, which aids in identification. Many songbirds produce sounds in the high-frequency range that are difficult to hear with significant hearing loss, and this app aims to bridge that gap.

### What is the age rating for Hear Birds Again?

Hear Birds Again has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

### On which devices can Hear Birds Again be used?

Hear Birds Again is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

### How often is Hear Birds Again updated?

The app was last updated on December 13, 2022, with version 1.0.1. Further update frequency is not specified but it is an open-source project.

### Does Hear Birds Again have ads?

No, Hear Birds Again is ad-free. As an open-source application, it focuses on providing its functionality without advertisements.

## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 1.0.1 — 2022-12-13

Hear Birds Again version 1.0.1 includes documentation updates.

### 1.0.0 — 2022-12-03

No release notes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*