BirdNote
Bird song & call identifier
Tap record, capture 3–15 seconds of birdsong, and BirdNote matches the call against thousands of species — naming the bird with a clear confidence score.
10,000+ birds · iPhone & iPad
The bird sound identifier that names birds by their song
Hear a bird you don't recognise? Record its call, snap a photo, and BirdNote tells you the species in seconds — with a confidence score and a full field guide. Free to download.
★★★★★ Loved by birders worldwide · Free · No account needed
Identify by Sound
Listening…
Common Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Confidence92%
🎙️ Match in seconds
📸 Photo ID too
Why BirdNote
One app to identify birds by sound, photo, and sight
Whether a bird is singing from a hedge or perched in plain view, BirdNote gives you a fast, confident answer — and teaches you something every time.
Identify a bird by picture
No song? Snap a photo or pick one from your camera roll. The bird photo identifier matches plumage, shape, and colour against the full species library.
A field guide to 10,000+ birds
Every result opens a rich profile — habitat, diet, range, rarity, and song samples — so you don't just name the bird, you get to know it.
Save your life list
Keep every bird you identify in a personal list with date and location, and watch your birding life list grow with each new species.
Fast, accurate matches
On-device speed plus a confidence score on every result means you spend less time guessing and more time watching the bird.
Birds from every region
From British garden birds to North American warblers and birds of prey, BirdNote covers species across the globe — wherever you go birding.
How it works
Identify any bird in three taps
No birding experience needed. If you can hear it or see it, BirdNote can help you name it.
1
Record or snap
Open BirdNote and tap Sound ID to record the call, or Photo ID to take a picture of the bird.
2
Let BirdNote match
The app turns your recording or photo into a fingerprint and compares it to a library of 10,000+ species in seconds.
3
Meet your bird
See the species name, confidence score, and a full guide — then save it to your personal life list.
🎙️ Sound match · 92% confidence
Bird call identifier
Know the bird by its song
Birdsong is often the first — and sometimes the only — sign that a bird is near. BirdNote's bird song identifier listens, records, and identifies the singer for you, even when it stays hidden in the canopy.
- Record live or trim a clip to the clearest 3–15 seconds
- Get the most likely species with a confidence percentage
- Compare against reference recordings to confirm the match
📸 Photo match · Eurasian Blue Tit
Bird photo identifier
Spot a bird, know its name
When a bird sits still long enough for a photo, let BirdNote do the rest. The identify-bird-by-picture feature reads colour, markings, and shape to find your match against thousands of species.
- Use your camera live or any photo from your library
- Matches plumage against thousands of bird species
- Opens a full profile with similar-looking species to compare
Explore birds
A whole world of birds to discover
Browse popular species and categories inside BirdNote — songbirds, birds of prey, waterfowl, owls, hummingbirds and more.
How BirdNote compares
Sound and photo ID in one simple app
Looking for the best bird identification app? Here's how BirdNote stacks up against what birders use today.
| Feature | BirdNote | Typical sound-only app | Typical photo-only app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify by bird song & call | Yes | Yes | No |
| Identify a bird by picture | Yes | No | Yes |
| Confidence score on results | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Full field-guide profiles | 10,000+ species | Limited | Limited |
| Personal life list | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Free to download | Yes | Yes | Varies |
Comparison reflects common feature sets among popular bird ID apps. Feature names belong to their respective owners.
Questions & answers
Bird sound identifier FAQ
How does a bird sound identifier work?+
BirdNote listens to a bird's song or call through your phone's microphone, turns the recording into a sound fingerprint (a spectrogram), and matches it against a reference library of more than 10,000 species. In seconds it shows you the most likely match with a confidence score.
Is BirdNote free to use?+
Yes. BirdNote is free to download, and you can identify birds by sound and photo at no cost. An optional in-app subscription unlocks unlimited identifications and premium field-guide content.
Can I identify a bird from a photo too?+
Absolutely. Besides sound, BirdNote can identify a bird from a photo. Snap a picture or choose one from your library and the app matches the plumage against thousands of species.
How accurate is the bird identification?+
BirdNote shows a confidence percentage with every result so you know how strong the match is. A clear 3–15 second recording of a single bird, with minimal background noise, gives the most accurate identification.
Which birds and regions are covered?+
BirdNote covers 10,000+ species worldwide — including British garden birds, North American songbirds and warblers, waterfowl, owls, hummingbirds and birds of prey.
Does it work without internet?+
You can browse saved birds and your personal list offline. Identifying a brand-new song, call, or photo works best with an internet connection so the app can match against the full species library.
Start birding smarter
Download the free bird sound identifier
Join birders who identify birds by song, call, and photo every day with BirdNote. Free on iPhone & iPad.
