Birding apps for iPhone and Android

It's a bird…it's a plane…it's…wait, if you don't know what it is, you could probably use the help of these apps. From amateur to ornithologist, there are several apps on the iOS, Android and other markets that you can use to identify birds. Back in the day, I went on a few bird tracking outings in the field with a college professor and some other students and found it very interesting. I had a hard time identifying birds, and apps like these certainly would have made it much easier than flipping through a field guide. That was about 11 years ago, though – practically in the dark ages when it comes to mobile technology. Now, whether you're out in the field or on your front porch, leave the field guide on the bookshelf. Try one of these apps to help you identify your feathered friends.

iBird Yard+: For the backyard bird enthusiast, this app is a great collection of 235 common species of birds (149 backyard species). It features full color photos and illustrations to help you identify birds correctly. View the illustrations in landscape or full screen mode; you can even pinch and zoom to get in close on the little details. The decision engine helps you correctly identify birds, and the database is searchable by 17 parameters including color, pattern and song. That's right; the app even has bird songs and calls. Full color range maps and information on behavior and habitat are also available. Store your own pictures in the photo center or share them on Facebook and Twitter. Get iBird in the App Store for $2.99. Despite the name iBird, the app is also available on Android devices for $0.99.

National Geographic Birds: What better organization to put together a birding app than National Geographic? This app is an interactive field guide for amateurs and experts alike. It has a comprehensive database of 995 species of birds that's easily searchable. Take quizzes to test your bird knowledge, keep up on the latest news in birding and watch videos of bird songs and calls. Range maps help you identify the birds in your area. My favorite feature from this app is My Journal. Here, you can track bird sightings by adding location information, weather data, pictures and notes. It's a little pricy at $9.99 in the App Store, but its huge database and great journaling feature make it worth it.

Peterson Birds of North America: This app comes from the renowned field guide maker, Peterson. Like the others, this app has illustrations, bird songs, range maps and nest photos to help you identify birds. It has more than 800 species and has more detail about each species than any other app. That's because they've compiled information from eight different field guides into one handy app. Compare similar bird species by sight, song and range all on one screen. Make custom lists, including a life list and share them with your friends. Add your photos to each species to keep track of the ones you find. In addition to all these features, each week you can download lists showing all the birds recorded in your county. Again, this app is rather expensive at $14.99 for iOS but its extensive database and the reliable Peterson name make it a must-have for serious bird watchers.

Audubon Birds: Audubon is one of the biggest names in field guides, and their app lives up to their standard. With 820 species to date, it has a powerful database of birds powered by eBird and Natureshare. eBird technology allows quick access to recent sightings and alerts you to rare birds sighted in your area. Thousands of high-definition images are at your fingertips, including multiple images of each species to show variations in gender, age and seasonal plumage. Use the detailed field marks for over 650 images to help you identify birds with similarities. The journaling app and extensive audio (more than 8 hours) round out this essential birding app. Surprisingly, it is one of the more affordable choices at $2.99 for Android devices and $3.99 for iOS.

One of the more interesting articles I've read on birding apps suggested the need for a Shazam-like app for bird songs. I thought, "Brilliant!" I then found out that it's not possible because birds have regional dialects and even individual songs have quite a bit of variety. That makes sense, but it's disappointing.

What feature would you like to see in a birding app that you think current apps don't address?

Photo of red-headed woodpecker courtesy thavs1 via Flickr.

Photo of bluejay courtesy rittyrats via Flickr.