With over 10,000 species of birds worldwide, being able to identify birds by their songs and calls can be a challenging task for even experienced birdwatchers. Thankfully, technology has provided some helpful solutions to aid in identifying bird vocalizations through the use of smartphone apps.
Why Identify Bird Songs?
There are several key reasons why being able to identify bird vocalizations is useful for birdwatchers:
- Helps with identifying mystery birds by their sounds when they are hard to see
- Allows you to identify nocturnal bird species that are more vocal at night
- Gives insight into what birds are present in an area by learning their sounds
- Fun way to learn bird songs and test your knowledge
- Can aid in bird conservation by recording and identifying species
Even experienced birders still struggle identifying bird calls at times. Apps provide an assistive tool for confirming an unknown bird song in the field. They also help beginner birders learn the large variety of bird vocalizations through audio recordings and quizzes.
Types of Bird Song Identification Apps
There are a few main types of helpful apps for identifying bird songs and calls:
Field Guides with Audio
These apps function as digital field guides, complete with bird photos, facts, and most importantly audio recordings of songs and calls. They allow you to browse by bird species to both see photos and listen to vocalizations. Popular examples include:
- Merlin Bird ID (Cornell Lab)
- iBird Pro
- Peterson Birds of North America
- Audubon Bird Guide
- Sibley Birds
Sound Recognition Apps
This type of app allows you to make recordings in the field and will attempt to identify an unknown bird song by matching it against a database of known bird audio. Some popular sound recognition apps are:
- ChirpOMatic (Cornell Lab)
- BirdNET (Cornell Lab)
- Merlin Bird ID Sound ID
- Shazam for Birds
- Larkwire
Quiz Apps
For learning bird songs and training your ears, quiz apps are great study aids. These apps will test your skill at identifying bird vocalizations from audio clips. Good options include:
- Quizlet Bird Sounds
- Larkwire Flashcards
- BBB Bird Songs Quiz
- Warblr Bird Quiz
Top Bird Song Identification Apps
Here is more detail on some of the most highly recommended apps for iOS and Android to identify bird songs:
1. Merlin Bird ID
Merlin Bird ID is a free app created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, one of the leading bird research institutions. Features include:
- Database with over 400 North American bird species with photos and audio
- Sound ID tool recognizes bird songs recorded by your phone
- Can ID birds visually from photos
- Species guide organized by color and family
- Available for iOS and Android
This is one of the most fully featured and user friendly apps for all aspects of bird identification.
2. iBird Pro
iBird Pro is a paid app with extensive audio recordings from the world’s largest bird sound archive by the Cornell Lab. Features include:
- Audio for over 2000 bird species worldwide
- Detailed species information and images
- Recordings organized by category like flight calls
- Quizzes and shareable audio clips
- Available for iOS
This has the largest species collection of any app and highly curated audio content.
3. ChirpOMatic
Another Cornell Lab app, ChirpOMatic is specialized for sound recognition. Features include:
- Identifies species of birds by recorded songs
- Works offline once species packs downloaded
- Over 400 species from across the Americas
- Uploads recordings to contribute to research
- Free app for iOS and Android
This app harnesses machine learning for best-in-class sound ID ability.
4. Song Sleuth
Song Sleuth has a vast catalog of high quality audio content. Features include:
- Database with over 800 species from North America
- Recordings curated by birding experts
- Clearly labeled song types
- Quizzes and lightning round games
- Free app with paid upgrades for iOS and Android
The recordings in Song Sleuth are exceptionally clear and useful for learning nuances between similar species.
5. Larkwire
Larkwire is tailored around games and quizzes for mastering bird vocalizations. Features include:
- 600+ quizzes with 800+ species from North America
- Games to test speed and accuracy of ID skills
- Statistics tracking for all quizzes and games
- Free limited version or paid full access for iOS and Android
For turning bird song ID into a fun game, Larkwire is a top choice app.
Key Features to Look for in Bird Song ID Apps
When choosing a bird vocalization app, here are some key features to consider:
- Number of species included – More species gives you greater coverage
- Quality of recordings – Crisp, clear audio makes ID easier
- Multiple recordings per species – Having several vocalizations like songs, calls, flight sounds etc. improves accuracy
- Quizzes/games – For mastering songs through practice and repetition
- Ability to slow down audio – Helps pick out nuances in songs
- Offline use – For identifying when no cell/wifi signal
- Sound recognition technology – Allows identifying recordings from the field
- Research contributions – Uploading recordings helps science and conservation
The most versatile apps offer a combination of great audio content, quiz modes, and sound ID functionality.
Tips for Learning Bird Songs with Apps
Here are some tips to get the most out of bird song identification apps as you learn:
- Use good headphones to pick out subtle sounds
- Pay attention to repeated phrases and patterns
- Note habitat the species lives in and range maps
- Learn similar sounding species side-by-side
- Test yourself regularly with quizzes
- Try memorizing mnemonics that describe songs
- Slow down and speed up recordings while learning
- Learn both common vocalizations and rarer ones
- Tab through spectrogram visuals as you listen
With regular listening sessions and active recall, you can expand your mental library of bird song signatures and calls over time using apps.
Conclusion
Bird song identification apps offer an incredibly useful tool for all birdwatchers to better identify avian species in the field. By having recordings of thousands of bird vocalizations right in your pocket, you can pull out your phone and confirm a tricky song or call on the spot. Apps also allow you to grow your knowledge through quizzes and games.
While nothing can fully replace time spent listening to birds in person, the variety of recordings, photos, information, and interactivity found in these apps provides a valuable supplement. As the technology improves over time, the ability of apps to recognize and identify an even wider array of bird species will continue expanding as well.
So explore downloading a few top-rated bird song ID apps that suit your needs. Whether you want a comprehensive field guide, sound recognition tool, or fun quiz games, there is an app available to start identifying more birds by ear and enhance your birdwatching experience.