# NestWatch by the Cornell Lab

> Citizen science app for tracking North American bird nests and nesting success. (iPhone/iPad app by Cornell University.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nestwatch-by-the-cornell-lab/id1207563841 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Cornell University](https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985)
- Category: Education, Lifestyle
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.00/5 from 18 App Store ratings · 24 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 58 MB
- Languages: American English, European Portuguese, European Spanish
- Released: 2017-03-01
- Data updated: 2026-08-13
- Monetization: ad-supported
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nestwatch-by-the-cornell-lab/id1207563841/reviews.md

## What is NestWatch by the Cornell Lab?

NestWatch is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen-science project that tracks nesting birds in North America. Found a bird’s nest? You can report it for science.
Sign in to:

•Add a nest location using the interactive map.
•Add data on species, number of eggs, number of young, hatch date, and other pertinent details.
•Contribute to North America’s largest database on avian nesting success.

Features:
•Full offline functionality, enabling use in places with limited or no Internet connection or cellular service.
•Enter bird nest observations from anywhere in North America.
•Track your nesting statistics in real time. 
•Ideal for managing nest box trail data.
•Automatically syncs with web version for seamless multi-user and multi-platform support.
•Your data are openly available for scientific research, education, and conservation right away.

Learn more about monitoring birds’ nests for science at http://nestwatch.org/.

## Key features

- Report bird nest locations
- Enter species, egg, and young data
- Contribute to avian nesting success database
- Offline functionality
- Track nesting statistics
- Manage nest box trail data
- Syncs with web version

## Recent user reviews (10 of 24)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nestwatch-by-the-cornell-lab/id1207563841/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great app for bird lovers

*2025-05-30*

I absolutely love using the nest watch app! It’s intuitive and well designed so that it makes it easy to track nesting birds anywhere I go. Logging data is straightforward and detailed. You can log everything from nest materials to the number of eggs and hatchlings, which makes the observations really meaningful and accurate. 

Another thing I love is the ability to upload photos. It’s super cool to look back and see the progress of birds as they grow up. I’ve learned a lot about local species and their nesting behaviors through the app. 

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys birding and wants to contribute to real scientific research. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has done a great job with making an app that’s super fun and easy to use!

### 5/5 — Great app for bird lovers

*2025-05-30*

I absolutely love using the nest watch app! It’s intuitive and well designed so that it makes it easy to track nesting birds anywhere I go. Logging data is straightforward and detailed. You can log everything from nest materials to the number of eggs and hatchlings, which makes the observations really meaningful and accurate. 

Another thing I love is the ability to upload photos. It’s super cool to look back and see the progress of birds as they grow up. I’ve learned a lot about local species and their nesting behaviors through the app. 

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys birding and wants to contribute to real scientific research. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has done a great job with making an app that’s super fun and easy to use!

### 1/5 — App is unusable

*2024-04-30*

Wonderful idea for an app but it’s basically unusable. The app constantly glitches and crashes. I can’t even load previous nest data or enter new data while in the field despite having good service. Had the same problem last year and it’s still not fixed.

**Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback, we're sorry to hear you're having issues with the latest version of the app. Please contact us at NestWatch@cornell.edu for help troubleshooting.

### 1/5 — I’m about ready to give up

*2022-06-18*

I’ve enjoyed entering data in Nestwatch for several years, but this year the app has become basically unusable for me.  If I try to make more than one entry on a single day, I can usually make the first entry ok, but after that the Submit button doesn’t work. This happens whether I’m trying to enter data for more than one location on a single day, or for more than one date for a single location. 

I have been in contact with customer support, but they haven’t been able to help me. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve deleted and reinstalled the app. I’ve updated my iPad, rebooted my iPad, and tried going thru the website to enter my data instead of using the app. Nothing works. I’m watching two active nest boxes right now. Today I visited both but can’t enter both observations today, so I’ll try to remember to enter the second visit tomorrow. This is seriously getting to be more trouble than it’s worth.

**Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback, we're sorry to hear you're having issues with the latest version of the app. Please contact us at NestWatch@cornell.edu for help troubleshooting your issue.

### 5/5 — Well laid out and comprehensive

*2022-06-07*

I’ve enjoyed Merlin and other information from Cornell in the past, and this app brings it all into one location. They have a great layout to show you all the relevant information on the nests and the birds, and format for monitoring your own nests and houses

### 5/5 — New Version is much better (updated: May 2022)

*2022-05-07*

The new version in May 2021 is a major improvement and has allowed me to use the App again! I have a large collection of nest boxes and earlier this year the old app became unusable. This upgrade came just in time to let me keep working in the field! The photo management is much smoother, the map, filtering, and summary pages are quick and I have yet to crash! Thank You!
*update May 2022
This app is still really useful but after using it for a year with multiple users sharing a log- in to all have access to the same 400+ nests it needs a button to force it to refresh or update “all data”.   It regularly does not show me new nest checks that others have made until I open the nest and “pull down “ - then it will find the new check.  This has caused problems many times including checking nests more often than needed!

### 4/5 — June 2021 update

*2021-07-11*

Location services must be enabled for the app to work. Otherwise, the app gets stuck while "getting your nest in order, step 3 of 7."

### 5/5 — Easy to use

*2021-05-19*

Allowing the app to sort my nests by ‘nearby’ makes my nest checks much easier! The new dark mode looks great.

### 5/5 — Love the new update

*2021-05-19*

The new update for May 2021 works well and helps me enter my nest checks effortlessly. I have enjoyed the simplified form and “nearby nests” feature.

### 5/5 — Great update! Easier to use and nice new features

*2021-05-14*

Excellent update that makes it much easier to enter nest observations. Love the new dark mode - makes it easier to see in the bright sun. Also, notable improvements to the map and adding new nests.

## Frequently asked questions about NestWatch by the Cornell Lab

### What does the NestWatch app do?

NestWatch is a citizen-science project that allows users to track nesting birds in North America. You can report bird nest locations, record details like species, number of eggs, and young, and contribute to a large database on avian nesting success. The data collected is used for scientific research, education, and conservation.

### What are the key features of NestWatch?

Key features include the ability to add nest locations on an interactive map, enter detailed observations about species and nesting progress, and track your personal nesting statistics. The app also offers full offline functionality, making it ideal for use in areas with limited connectivity, and automatically syncs with the web version.

### Is NestWatch free to use?

The app is free to download and use. However, it does display advertisements. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees required to access its core functionalities.

### Can I use NestWatch without an internet connection?

Yes, the app provides full offline functionality. This means you can enter bird nest observations and data even in locations with limited or no internet connection or cellular service. Your data will sync automatically once you regain connectivity.

### Who is the target audience for NestWatch?

This app is designed for bird enthusiasts, citizen scientists, and anyone interested in contributing to the understanding of avian nesting success in North America. It's particularly useful for individuals managing nest box trails or conducting informal wildlife monitoring.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.7.10 — 2026-06-29

In this release:
* Updated map experience including nest filtering. 
* Nest details can now be edited after creation.

Thank you for NestWatching!

### 3.6.16 — 2025-11-10

Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 3.6.4 — 2025-09-29

Bugfixes and performance improvements

### 3.6.3 — 2025-06-19

In this update, we are happy to provide you with the following new features
* Nest Groups: Create and manage nest groups to keep your nest list organized. Any nest groups you have created on the website will sync to your device.
* Your nest list can now be filtered by selecting a nest group
* You can also filter your nest list by status

We have also optimized the way data is synced to the app from our servers. Users with large datasets will see a faster sync process.

Thank you NestWatchers!

### 3.5.9 — 2025-05-16

We have been working hard to improve the performance and reliability of the app. Thank you for your support. Happy NestWatching!

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## More apps by Cornell University

- [Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673)
- [AHDC Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ahdc-mobile/id897978329)
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All apps by Cornell University: https://appshunter.io/developer/382072985

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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 2026-08-13.*