Birdwatching goes high tech

John and Natalie White are co-founders of the new birdwatching app and social media platform, Birda. They told Sorted Magazine: “The popularity of birdwatching has grown exponentially across the country. RSPB’s annual garden survey revealed that the number of people reporting which birds they could see in their gardens rose by 85%. Currently around six million people in the UK are regularly engaged in birdwatching and it has also overtaken fishing as the number one hobby.”

Birda turns your phone into a tool for logging the birds you spot and the app is free to download. The interface is user friendly for casual and serious birdwatchers alike. Birds can be logged one at a time or several birds can be logged as part of a longer birding session. Progress can be tracked and lists built.

The app features home lists, curated lists, badges, goal setting, offline mode, and a Birda community functions, offline mode.

Natalie enthused: “Birda is great for teams, brand building, and community outreach. It encourages connection and competition between colleagues or companies. In Birda, you can earn individual badges for specific goals and species, compete with your followers to see who can stay at the top of the leader board, and participate in local and national birdwatching challenges. All the while, you’ll be helping conservationists protect a myriad of bird species. Anonymous combined logs from the app can be used by scientists and environmental protection organisations to create a picture of species movement. This will help to put the proper measures in place to support and safeguard them. You’ll also find local conservation activities to join and projects to donate to through the app.”