It’s National Bird Day and there’s an app for that.
Three apps actually:
- Merlin Bird ID. As expected, this app helps you identify a bird. It walks you through some steps. First, your location. Then size, color, and activity. It worked for me in identifying the Great Egret pictured below along the Salt River. You can also create a list of sightings. Once you’ve identified the bird through the steps, just push a button to add it to your list.
- Audubon. You can also identify birds with this app by applying filters. I’m not a fan of this approach, but maybe you’ll like it. I prefer Merlin Bird ID. Both apps let you explore species, but Audubon’s list seems more comprehensive.
- eBird. Like Merlin Bird ID, this app is from The Cornell Lab. It’s an alternate list app with different characteristics. Merlin lets you save to an internal list or to eBird. I don’t really get why you would want to. They offer some tutorials if you really want to get into this.
Great Egret.