Good app to identify birds : Picture Bird

[Drbobcameraguy]

It looks like its similar to Merlin Photo ID. Do you have any idea of what geographic areas are covered or not covered? The comments with confusion over the cost look disturbing.

Merlin identifies by either sound or a photo. It works quite well for both - even with out of focus images of uncommon birds or birds in transition to breeding plumage. Merlin is from Cornell University - the people who developed eBird. Like eBird, Merlin is free.

I and my wife have used the Cornell University merlin app for several years. It is a great free app with a lot of information on their website also.

 

[Hutch]

Not sure is this topic has already been discussed.

I’ve been using this app for a while : Picture Bird

View attachment 85205

And I’m pretty bluffed. The principle is simple: just photograph an image of a bird (on the screen of a computer for example) and Picture Bird identifies it.

I take advantage of the wide variety of species presented on Backcountry Gallery to put this software to the test.

After more than 150 tests, I don’t remember a failed attempt.
In some cases, where the bird is not well positioned on the image, Picture Bird still finds the right answer.

If you have comments about this product or if you have other solutions that work well (on iPhone and Mac), feel free to share them.

Works as well on:

View attachment 85206

Merlin and e-Bird are free and work excellent. Those are also the most popular apps with the birding clubs.

 

[Capmike]

I’m a bird photographer. Traveling the world. Merlin is terrific, if it has a library for where you are going. Sometimes they don’t have a bird or two somewhere, and for those I use Goggle Images. Not always spot on, but gives a direction to further explore.

 

[Nerja Rob]

I use Merlin for birds, Seek for plants/bugs etc and if totally stumped, just popping a photo on Bird Forum (under Bird Identification Q&A) always gets an answer, usually very quickly.

 

[Calson]

I cannot see enough use of the Bird app to spend $40 a year to have it available. In most cases Merlin identifies the birds by their songs and not camera and super telephoto lens is required.

 

[mdingel]

I also use Merlin also, especially for the Sound ID. Google Lens (image search) does a good job too.

 

[pochito]

Can anybody recommend an app for idenifying bugs?

 

[gKhan]

Users' comments in 'Ratings and Reviews' (App Store):

• I'm not sure if I'm going to be charged.
• I deleted the app straight away though not feeling confident they won't still charge me.
• The app is advertised as free but this is not correct.
• As soon as you have downloaded it, it is an automatic subscription requiring you to cancel in order not to pay.
• This really is scamming people out of their money.
• I was charged within a few days of downloading and before the trial period was over.
• Cancel option is hidden deep in settings somewhere.
• It says for a one week free trial before you are charged and they didn't even say how much it costs!
• This app is a scam.
• Can't delete or remove from subscriptions.
• I am not using this app and wish to cancel but have been unsuccessful.
• Very hard to unsubscribe.
• Does not declare pricing or in-app purchases.
• Find I subscribed to an annual fee after feeling safe it was a free app.
• I too cannot stop the recurring cost of subscription!
• How do you cancel this?
• It looks like it's free but apparently not.
• Looks free. It's not.
• Annoying to unsubscribe.
• How do I cancel the app?

And so on…

Thank you for posting this.

 

[Utsav]

Can anybody recommend an app for idenifying bugs?

Yes please, if anyone can suggest a good app for bugs & insects. I'm a little into macrophotography and most of time, i don't know whose photos i'm taking. Google image search does a good job, but not always to identify the bugs. Thanks.