Android users rejoice! eBird Mobile is now available for free in the Google Play store, complementing the iOS version of the app that was released earlier this year. eBird Mobile is a single app that allows you to enter eBird observations from anywhere in the world. eBird Mobile is completely translated into 8 languages, and supports species common names in more than 20 languages. Its offline functionality even allows you to enter sightings in areas with no cell service, or when traveling abroad without Internet access. If you haven’t tried eBird Mobile yet, there is no better time! Both of these apps build off of the groundbreaking BirdLog app, initially developed by David Bell and BirdsInTheHand, LLC in 2012.
Regular users of BirdLog will find that this app works similarly, with a few key improvements. Data entry has been optimized as much as possible, and the app is more reliable than ever—auto-saving your checklists throughout the process and never losing information once it has been entered. In the coming months and years we will focus on reworking the user interface, making the app available in even more languages, allowing breeding code entry, addition of photos to checklists within the app, sharing checklists from within the app, integration with My eBird, and much more. This is the first step along an exciting road for eBird Mobile.
NOTE: all versions of BirdLog for Android (and iOS) will have support discontinued in the near future, so it is important to make the switch to eBird Mobile as soon as possible.
What’s new with eBird Mobile?
- Free—eBird Mobile is free.
- Single global version—The eBird Mobile app is available in a single consolidated version that works anywhere on earth.
- Improved offline use—Creating checklists offline is now easy and reliable and allows you to use eBird Mobile anywhere on the planet, regardless of cell coverage. Read more.
- Expanded languages—The entire app is offered in 8 languages, plus species common names in more than 20 languages and many country-specific dialects, in parallel with the eBird website. Four-letter quick entry based on common name and scientific name for all taxa globally, as on eBird.
- Rarity notations—Rare species are now indicated on the checklist view, providing more information about the status of the birds you’re reporting.
- Auto-saved progress—eBird Mobile automatically saves the checklist whenever you update a count or close a comment field, saving them in your “My Checklists” section of the app.
- Data quality improvements—The app more closely matches functionality of eBird web for protocols, the rarity documentation process, and prompts that ensure that users will be more precise with location selection.
How do I get started with eBird Mobile?
- Submit all your saved BirdLog checklists to eBird before switching to eBird Mobile! When you delete BirdLog, unsubmitted checklists will be lost permanently—those that have been submitted will always be available through My eBird. We recommend that you not delete BirdLog from your phone until you are sure that eBird Mobile is up and running. If you have questions, please check out: Transitioning from BirdLog to eBird Mobile.
- Log in to eBird Mobile with your regular eBird username and password. Do not create a new account.
- eBird Mobile will not “sync” with the old BirdLog app. This means that your “Recent Locations” list will not migrate from BirdLog to eBird Mobile, nor will your checklists. However, eBird Mobile will give access to all your Personal Locations via “Choose a Location From Map” and “Choose a Nearby Personal Location”.
Next Steps for eBird Mobile
We are excited to expand the tools and features that we offer to mobile eBirders. Over the coming months and years we will integrate more of the eBird website into eBird Mobile, and add new features to make the data entry as easy as possible and the most useful for conservation and research. We’ll continue to add new languages—please email us if you are interested in helping translate a language not currently represented in eBird.
A huge thank you to all who have beta tested these apps up until this point, your efforts have made it possible to get this app where it is right now. We can’t wait to see where eBird Mobile will be in a few years!
We look forward to hearing your feedback. Please send comments to ebird@cornell.edu and share your ideas on how we can improve eBird. If you like eBird Mobile, please consider rating it favorably on the iTunes or Google Play stores. We hope you enjoy the app—happy mobile eBirding!