1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Free Birding App

Best Free Birding App

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

If you already know Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab, this is the deeper bench. 250+ free birding app for iPhone, all reviewed and ranked by user rating, recency, and download trend as of August 2026.

Compare top Free Birding App (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Merlin Bird ID by Cornell LabMerlin Bird ID by Cornell LabFree4.9★ (111K)NoNoAug 2026
2Audubon Bird GuideAudubon Bird GuideFree4.3★ (4.5K)YesNoAug 2026
3eBirdeBirdFree3.8★ (797)NoNoAug 2026
4Birdbuddy: ID & Collect BirdsBirdbuddy: ID & Collect BirdsFree4.8★ (61K)NoYesAug 2026
5Bird Life List: Birding LogBird Life List: Birding LogFree—NoYesAug 2026
6Birda - Bird Watching, BirdingBirda - Bird Watching, BirdingFree4.7★ (2.1K)NoYesAug 2026
7BirdingApp.BirdingApp.Free4.9★ (33)NoYesAug 2026
8Identify Birds – Smart Bird IDIdentify Birds – Smart Bird IDFree4.7★ (17K)NoYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Free Birding App

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😊(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
Audubon Bird Guide#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
eBird#3

eBird by Cornell University

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Worth Considering
🔍 Reference
3.8😐(803 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

More Free Birding App apps to explore

4
Birdbuddy: ID & Collect Birds
Birdbuddy: ID & Collect Birds
Birdbuddy: ID & Collect Birds
Identify by photo & sound
Free

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
📚 Education
(61K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Bird Life List: Birding Log
Bird Life List: Birding Log
Bird Life List: Birding Log
Bird Watching Species Tracker
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
6
Birda - Bird Watching, Birding
Birda - Bird Watching, Birding
Birda - Bird Watching, Birding
eBird Import & AI Identifier
Free

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
🔍 Reference
(2.1K)
free with in-app purchases
7
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
8
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
9
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Identify birds by picture AI
Free
📚 Education
(0)
10
Flock Yard Bird List
Flock Yard Bird List
Flock Yard Bird List
Birding with Friends
Free

Easily track birds seen in your yard, share sightings and photos with friends, and connect with a community of nature enthusiasts. Enjoy beautiful bird art and compete on leaderboards for a fun, social birdwatching experience.

Log and track bird sightingsShare sightings and photos with friendsCompete on community leaderboards
🔍 Reference
(22)
freemium
11
COOLFLY：Free Bird ID&Community
COOLFLY：Free Bird ID&Community
COOLFLY：Free Bird ID&Community
Bird watching. Shared moments.
Free

Connect with a global community of bird lovers. Manage your bird feeders, capture and share photos/videos of birds, and discover nature's wonders. Engage with others through stories, comments, and challenges, even without a feeder.

Bird feeder managementPhoto and video captureGlobal community sharing
📚 Education
(1.1K)
freemium
12
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
bird feather identification AI
Free
$1.99 | 100% OFF
📚 Education
(0)
13
County Birding
County Birding
County Birding
Check location and see targets
Free
🗺️ Navigation
(0)
14
DiBird – Bird Watching Journal
DiBird – Bird Watching Journal
DiBird – Bird Watching Journal
Log Sightings, Explore & Rank
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
15
eBird Explorer
eBird Explorer
eBird Explorer
Find amazing birds fast!
Free
📚 Education
(0)
16
Bird Identifier: Species ID
Bird Identifier: Species ID
Bird Identifier: Species ID
Habitat, family & lookalikes
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
17
BirdVue
BirdVue
BirdVue
AI Bird Recognition
Free
📷 Photo & Video
(0)
18
GoFindBird
GoFindBird
GoFindBird
Every sighting, remembered
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
19
Galicia Birding
Galicia Birding
Galicia Birding
by Xunta de Galicia
Free
✈️ Travel
(0)
20
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Scan photo & sound to ID birds
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)

FAQ about Free Birding App

What is the best free birding app for iPhone?
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our free birding app ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 111K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
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 250+ free birding app 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.