Best Bird Watching Free Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.4 avg rating

20 free apps

Updated August 2026

From beginner-friendly picks to power-user tools, our bird watching free list covers 250+ iPhone apps updated through August 2026. Compare ratings, prices, and screenshots in one place.

Compare top Bird Watching Free Apps (August 2026)

#	App	Price	Rating	Ads	In-App Purchases	Updated
1	Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab	Free	4.9★ (111K)	No	No	Aug 2026
2	Audubon Bird Guide	Free	4.3★ (4.5K)	Yes	No	Aug 2026
3	Picture Bird: Bird identifier	Free	4.7★ (40K)	No	Yes	Aug 2026
4	eBird	Free	3.8★ (797)	No	No	Aug 2026
5	Birdbuddy: ID & Collect Birds	Free	4.8★ (61K)	No	Yes	Aug 2026
6	Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID	Free	4.7★ (17K)	No	Yes	Aug 2026
7	Birda - Bird Watching, Birding	Free	4.7★ (2.1K)	No	Yes	Aug 2026
8	Bird Sit Spot	Free	5.0★ (2)	No	No	Jul 2026

Top Picks for Bird Watching Free

#1

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab by Cornell University

Identify Birds You See & Hear

Editor's Choice

🔍 Reference

4.9😊(111K ratings)

Free

#11in Reference

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 1

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 2

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 3

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 4

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 5

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 6

Easily identify birds by sight or sound using advanced machine learning. Explore birds in your region, track your sightings, and learn about species with photos, sounds, and range maps. This free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology helps build your birding skills.

What We Love

🚀 Helpful for bird identification
🔒 Accurate bird identification
👍 Easy to use
👍 Useful for beginners and experts

Room to Improve

🐛 Sound ID not always accurate
🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
🐛 Difficulty adding birds to life list

#2

Audubon Bird Guide by National Audubon Society

Identify over 800 bird species

Strong Contender

🔍 Reference

4.3😊(4.5K ratings)

FreeAds

Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 1

Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 2

Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 3

Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 4

Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 5

Identify North American birds with this comprehensive field guide. Features include a bird ID tool based on observations, detailed species information with photos and audio, and a personal sightings log. Discover nearby birding locations and connect with conservation efforts.

What We Love

🚀 Great app
👍 Easy to use
🔍 Helpful for identifying birds
🎶 Useful bird calls and sounds

Room to Improve

🐛 Buggy and crashes
🔄 Confusing interface changes
🔒 Requires account creation

#3

Picture Bird: Bird identifier by Next Vision Limited

Bird Sound & Image ID, Birding

Worth Considering

🔍 Reference

4.7😐(40K ratings)

FreeIn-App Purchases

#38in Reference

Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 1

Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 2

Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 3

Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 4

Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 5

Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 6

Identify birds by photo or sound with this smart app. Access detailed information, learn about bird feeding, and manage your sightings. It's a comprehensive tool for bird enthusiasts of all levels.

What We Love

🚀 Accurate identification
👍 Easy to use
💡 Helpful information about birds
🚀 Ability to identify from photos and sounds

Room to Improve

🐛 Inconsistent identification accuracy
🔒 Misleading subscription model
🐛 Incorrect identification of common birds

More Bird Watching Free apps to explore

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Easily record bird sightings in the field and contribute to a global database for scientific research and conservation. This app offers offline functionality, customized checklists, and GPS-enabled location plotting.

Record bird observations globallyGlobal taxonomy and local common namesLocation and time-based checklists

Birdbuddy: ID & Collect Birds

Birdbuddy: ID & Collect Birds

Identify by photo & sound

Instantly identify bird species using your phone's camera or microphone, or through a smart feeder. Collect digital postcards, learn fascinating facts, and contribute to conservation efforts with this global birdwatching community app.

Identify birds by photo or soundSmart feeder integrationCollect and learn bird facts

free with in-app purchases

Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID

Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID

From photo or sound. Instantly

Instantly identify birds from photos or sounds. Explore a global bird guide, learn through interactive challenges and courses, and log your sightings. Connect with a community of bird watchers and collect animated stickers.

Identify birds by photoIdentify birds by soundGlobal bird identification guide

free with in-app purchases

Birda - Bird Watching, Birding

Birda - Bird Watching, Birding

eBird Import & AI Identifier

This app helps you identify birds using AI, track your sightings, and build life lists. Connect with a global community, discover new species, and contribute to conservation efforts. It also allows for easy import of your existing birding data.

AI bird identification from photosManual bird identification with AI textDetailed species guide with calls and maps

free with in-app purchases

Calm birdwatching sessions

This app encourages mindful birdwatching by providing a calm environment for observation. It features timed sessions, gentle prompts, and the ability to log detailed notes and photos of your sightings. Track your progress and build a routine with personalized observation spots and achievements.

Timed observation sessionsGentle sensory promptsLog bird observations with details

Bird Watch Identifier

Bird Watch Identifier

Identify birds from your wrist

DiBird – Bird Watching Journal

DiBird – Bird Watching Journal

Log Sightings, Explore & Rank

AI Bird Recognition

📷 Photo & Video

BirdBingo&BirdWatching Safaris

BirdBingo&BirdWatching Safaris

New type of Birdwatching FUN

🎬 Entertainment

Orni - Share, Connect, Chat

Orni - Share, Connect, Chat

Share what you spot

This app is a social platform for birdwatching enthusiasts to log activities, track progress, and connect with others. It offers daily check-ins, a data dashboard, seasonal birding information, and a community forum.

Daily birdwatching check-ins with streak trackingData dashboard for species, days, and postsSeasonal birdwatching themes and hotspots

by MARTY RADD ICENOGGLE

Bird Identifier: birding Scans

Bird Identifier: birding Scans

bird feather identification AI

$1.99 | 100% OFF

Birdwatching Assistant

Ataavi Bird Hub India

Ataavi Bird Hub India

Bird ID, Checklist & Community

Bird lover feeder

Bird lover feeder

by Guangdong Pine Lake Technology Co., Ltd

This app uses AI to identify birds visiting your feeder. Remotely capture photos and videos, share access with loved ones, and receive reminders about backyard visitors. Never miss a moment with playback support.

AI bird recognitionRemote photo and video captureDevice sharing

This app predicts bird species encounters based on location, weather, and migration patterns. It offers a species explorer, personal observation journal, and community trends for bird enthusiasts.

Smart bird encounter forecastsSpecies explorer with detailed insightsPersonal notes and observation journal

Watch Birds Live

Connect to your bird box camera to watch live streams of birds. Enjoy high-definition video, capture moments with recording, and receive real-time alerts about nesting and hatching. Share your discoveries with friends and family.

Connect bird box cameraLive bird streamingHigh-definition video

FAQ about Bird Watching Free

What are the best bird watching free apps for iPhone?

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our bird watching free apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 111K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.

Does Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab have ads or in-app purchases?

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.

How many bird watching free apps are on the App Store?

We track 250+ bird watching free apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.

What does the Merlin Bird ID app do?

Merlin Bird ID is a free app that helps you identify birds you see or hear. It uses machine learning powered by a vast database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos from eBird. You can identify birds by uploading a photo, recording a sound, answering simple questions, or exploring birds in a specific region.

How accurate is the bird identification?

The app leverages machine learning trained on millions of photos and sounds collected by experienced birders. This, combined with curated data from eBird and the Macaulay Library, ensures highly accurate identification results. Expert birders contribute to the ongoing improvement of the identification algorithms.