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Best Birding Apps

248+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

Out of 248+ birding apps on iOS, 20 are free and the rest sit in the paid tier. This page sorts them so you can compare both sides before you commit.

Compare top Birding Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Merlin Bird ID by Cornell LabMerlin Bird ID by Cornell LabFree4.9★ (109K)NoNoAug 2026
2eBirdeBirdFree3.8★ (796)NoNoAug 2026
3Audubon Bird GuideAudubon Bird GuideFree4.3★ (4.5K)YesNoAug 2026
4BirdScore: Birding Field LogBirdScore: Birding Field LogFree—NoYesJun 2026
5Identify Birds – Smart Bird IDIdentify Birds – Smart Bird IDFree4.7★ (17K)NoYesAug 2026
6BirdingApp.BirdingApp.Free4.9★ (33)NoYesAug 2026
7eBird Alert!eBird Alert!Free4.8★ (8)NoNoJul 2026
8County BirdingCounty BirdingFree—NoNoMay 2026

Top Picks for Birding Apps

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😊(109K ratings)
Free
#13in 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
eBird#2

eBird by Cornell University

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Strong Contender
🔍 Reference
3.8😐(796 ratings)
Free
eBird screenshot 1
eBird screenshot 2
eBird screenshot 3
eBird screenshot 4
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

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 📍 Issues with location tracking and mapping
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
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

More Birding Apps apps to explore

4
BirdScore: Birding Field Log
BirdScore: Birding Field Log
BirdScore: Birding Field Log
Voice-recorded Field Notes
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
5
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID
From photo or sound. Instantly
Free

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
📚 Education
(17K)
free with in-app purchases
6
BirdingApp.
BirdingApp.
BirdingApp.
connecting birders
Free

Connect with fellow birdwatchers, organize your birding activities, and stay updated on sightings. Discover local guides, plan routes, and receive real-time alerts for rare birds. Engage in friendly competition and challenges.

Create user profiles and connect with friendsLocation-based chat for local sightingsReal-time rare bird alerts
🌐 Social Networking
(33)
free with in-app purchases
7
eBird Alert!
eBird Alert!
eBird Alert!
Find Nearby Rare Birds
Free

Discover rare bird sightings in your vicinity using data from a global bird record database. Customize your search by distance, recency, and location, and access identification details and photos to aid in spotting. Easily open sighting locations in your preferred map application.

View rare and local bird sightingsCustomize sighting proximity and recencySelect specific nearby counties
🔍 Reference
(8)
free
8
County Birding
County Birding
County Birding
Check location and see targets
Free
🗺️ Navigation
(0)
9
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
bird feather identification AI
Free
$1.99 | 100% OFF
📚 Education
(0)
10
Wingmate Birds
Wingmate Birds
Wingmate Birds
Gamified Birding | Spot em all
Free

This app helps users identify and track bird species across Australia with an interactive guide, gamified challenges, and detailed bird information. It's designed for both beginners and experienced birdwatchers to enhance their nature exploration and photography.

Interactive bird guide for AustraliaTrack bird sightings and create a life listGamified wildlife exploration
🔍 Reference
(0)
free with in-app purchases
11
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Identify birds by picture AI
Free
📚 Education
(0)
12
Bird Life List: Birding Log
Bird Life List: Birding Log
Bird Life List: Birding Log
Bird Watching Species Tracker
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
13
Warblez
Warblez
Warblez
Log bird sightings by voice
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
14
Flyway Birding
Flyway Birding
Flyway Birding
by MARTY RADD ICENOGGLE
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
15
Big Year Birding GB
Big Year Birding GB
Big Year Birding GB
England, Scotland & Wales(BOU)
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
16
Bird Identifier — Birding ID
Bird Identifier — Birding ID
Bird Identifier — Birding ID
Names, habitat, diet & calls
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
17
MyBird - Birding Journal
MyBird - Birding Journal
MyBird - Birding Journal
Life List, Photos & Sightings
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
18
Sparkbird
Sparkbird
Sparkbird
Share your birding moments
Free

Connect with fellow birdwatchers, track your sightings, and identify new species with AI assistance. Share your birding adventures and discover rare finds in a supportive community.

Personal Life List trackingDetailed sighting logs with mediaReal-time sighting alerts
🌐 Social Networking
(47)
free with in-app purchases
19
A Bird A Day
A Bird A Day
A Bird A Day
Collect all the birds
Free
🎬 Entertainment
(0)
20
eBird Explorer
eBird Explorer
eBird Explorer
Find amazing birds fast!
Free
📚 Education
(0)

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FAQ about Birding Apps

What are the best birding apps for iPhone?
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our birding apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 109K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top birding apps 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 August 2026.
We track 248+ birding apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
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.
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.

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