Best Birding Apps & Games

249+ iOS apps & games curated and reviewed

4.8 avg rating
20 free apps & games
Updated October 2026

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab is the household name in birding, but it's far from the only option. We track 249+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Compare top Birding Apps & Games (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Merlin Bird ID by Cornell LabMerlin Bird ID by Cornell LabFree4.9★ (114K)NoNoNov 2026
2eBirdeBirdFree3.8★ (827)NoNoNov 2026
3Audubon Bird GuideAudubon Bird GuideFree4.3★ (4.5K)YesNoNov 2026
4Birda - Bird Watching, BirdingBirda - Bird Watching, BirdingFree4.7★ (2.3K)NoYesOct 2026
5Birdr: Bird Watching & BirdingBirdr: Bird Watching & BirdingFree4.6★ (30)NoYesOct 2026
6BirdingApp.BirdingApp.Free4.9★ (35)NoYesOct 2026
7Learn Bird Watching—LarkwireLearn Bird Watching—LarkwireFree4.8★ (1.3K)NoYesOct 2026
8Flyway BirdingFlyway BirdingFree—NoNoOct 2026

Top Picks for Birding

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab#1

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab by Cornell University

Identify Birds You See & Hear
Editor's Choice
🔍 Reference
4.9😊(114K ratings)
Free
#25in Reference
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 1
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Instantly identify birds by sight or sound. This app uses advanced machine learning and a vast database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos to help you discover and learn about avian species worldwide. Track your sightings and explore birds in your region.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Helpful for bird identification
  • 🔒 Accurate bird identification
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Useful for beginners and experts
  • 👍 Enjoyable and fun to use
  • 👍 Comprehensive bird information
  • 👍 Excellent sound identification feature
  • 👍 Connects with eBird
  • 👍 Free app with no ads

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Sound ID not always accurate
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🐛 Difficulty adding birds to life list
  • 🐛 Limited bird packs for certain regions
  • 🐛 Requires location access
  • 🐛 High battery consumption
  • 🐛 Confusing user interface in some areas
eBird#2

eBird by Cornell University

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Strong Contender
🔍 Reference
3.8😐(827 ratings)
Free
eBird screenshot 1
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eBird screenshot 5

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent for citizen science
  • 🔍 Helpful for finding birds at hotspots
  • 📚 Useful for tracking life lists
  • 👍 Easy to use and submit checklists
  • 🤝 Integrates well with Merlin Bird ID

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 📍 Issues with location tracking and mapping
  • 🤔 Unintuitive user interface
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with location data
Audubon Bird Guide#3

Audubon Bird Guide by National Audubon Society

Identify over 800 bird species
Worth Considering
🔍 Reference
4.3😊(4.5K ratings)
FreeAds
Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 1
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Identify North American birds with a comprehensive field guide. Features include real-time bird identification, detailed species information, and sighting logs. Connect with a community of birdwatchers and conservationists.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔍 Helpful for identifying birds
  • 🎶 Useful bird calls and sounds
  • 📍 Provides location-based bird sightings
  • 🗺️ Detailed range maps
  • 🤝 Supports community features
  • 💰 Free app with great value

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes
  • 🔄 Confusing interface changes
  • 🔒 Requires account creation
  • 📍 Limited location-based features
  • 🗺️ Outdated or incomplete range maps
  • 🎶 Missing bird calls and sounds
  • 🖼️ Poor photo quality and functionality

More Birding apps to explore

FAQ about Birding

What are the best birding apps & games for iPhone?
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our birding apps & games ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 114K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top birding apps & games we rank are free to download, including Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab and eBird.
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ birding apps & games on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.

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