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Best Identify Birds Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.4 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

The best identify birds apps on iPhone average 4.4★ across 250+ titles — we've ranked them by what real users actually keep on their phones. Updated August 2026.

Compare top Identify Birds Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Merlin Bird ID by Cornell LabMerlin Bird ID by Cornell LabFree4.9★ (111K)NoNoAug 2026
2Identify Birds – Smart Bird IDIdentify Birds – Smart Bird IDFree4.7★ (17K)NoYesAug 2026
3Audubon Bird GuideAudubon Bird GuideFree4.3★ (4.5K)YesNoAug 2026
4Picture Bird: Bird identifierPicture Bird: Bird identifierFree4.7★ (40K)NoYesAug 2026
5Bird Song Identifier・Sounds IDBird Song Identifier・Sounds IDFree—NoYesAug 2026
6BirdsID - Identify BirdsBirdsID - Identify BirdsFree—YesYesMay 2026
7Smart Bird IdentifierSmart Bird IdentifierFree—NoYesMay 2026
8Bird Identifier - Birding IDBird Identifier - Birding IDFree—NoYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Identify Birds

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
#10in 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
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID#2

Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID by Yellow Cardinal Inc.

From photo or sound. Instantly
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.7😊(17K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 1
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 2
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 3
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 4
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 5
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Terrific app for identifying birds
  • 👍 Helpful for learning about birds
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 👍 Provides detailed information on birds

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 💰 Some features locked behind paywall
  • 🔍 Difficulty isolating bird sounds in noisy environments
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 Identify Birds apps to explore

4
Picture Bird: Bird identifier
Picture Bird: Bird identifier
Picture Bird: Bird identifier
Bird Sound & Image ID, Birding
Free

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.

Accurate bird identification by photo or soundBirding camera with automatic sharpeningBird feeding guidance and tips
🔍 Reference
(40K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Bird Song Identifier・Sounds ID
Bird Song Identifier・Sounds ID
Bird Song Identifier・Sounds ID
Picture Identify Birds Calls
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
6
BirdsID - Identify Birds
BirdsID - Identify Birds
BirdsID - Identify Birds
Identify Birds with AI Power
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
7
Smart Bird Identifier
Smart Bird Identifier
Smart Bird Identifier
Snap & Identify Birds
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
8
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Bird Identifier - Birding ID
Identify birds by picture AI
Free
📚 Education
(0)
9
Birdly: Bird Identifier
Birdly: Bird Identifier
Birdly: Bird Identifier
Sound, Call & Photo ID
Free
📚 Education
(0)
10
Bird Finder - Bird Identifier
Bird Finder - Bird Identifier
Bird Finder - Bird Identifier
Sound & Image Recognize
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
11
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Scan photo & sound to ID birds
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
12
bird identifier °
bird identifier °
bird identifier °
Bird identifier & AI scanner
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
13
eBird
eBird
eBird
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Free

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
🔍 Reference
(797)
free
14
Bird Identifier: - BirdLens
Bird Identifier: - BirdLens
Bird Identifier: - BirdLens
Snap. Identify. Learn Birds.
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
15
Bird Scanner - 10,000+ Birds
Bird Scanner - 10,000+ Birds
Bird Scanner - 10,000+ Birds
Search a bird with AI Camera
Free

Identify birds using your camera or by uploading a photo. Explore a vast database of over 10,000 species, categorized by family and genre. Discover a new bird each day with a special feature.

AI camera bird identificationIdentify birds by photoBrowse birds by family
📚 Education
(1)
free
16
Bird Identifier: Lasird
Bird Identifier: Lasird
Bird Identifier: Lasird
Identify Any Bird Instantly
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
17
Identify Bird
Identify Bird
Identify Bird
Bird Identifier by photo
Free

Effortlessly identify birds from photos with an extensive database and detailed information on diet and behavior. Access educational resources to enhance your bird watching knowledge and skills. Designed for ease of use for all nature enthusiasts.

Effortless bird identification from photosExtensive global bird species databaseLearn bird diet and behavior
📚 Education
(0)
free with in-app purchases
18
Bird Identifier - Birds Guide
Bird Identifier - Birds Guide
Bird Identifier - Birds Guide
Bird Identification Tool
Free
🔧 Utilities
(0)
19
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
Bird Identifier: birding Scans
bird feather identification AI
Free
$1.99 | 100% OFF
📚 Education
(0)
20
Birdlens: Bird Identifier Scan
Birdlens: Bird Identifier Scan
Birdlens: Bird Identifier Scan
Bird ID by Photo & Sound AI
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)

FAQ about Identify Birds

What are the best identify birds apps for iPhone?
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our identify birds apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 111K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top identify birds apps we rank are free to download, including Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab and Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID.
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+ identify birds 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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