Birda (app)

Last updated
Birda
Company typePrivate
IndustryMobile app; Citizen science
FoundedApril 26, 2017;8 years ago (2017-04-26)
Founders John White; Natalie White
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Key people
John White (CEO); Natalie White (COO); Lee Clissett (CPO)
ProductsBirda app (iOS and Android)
Website birda.org

Birda is a birdwatching and citizen science mobile application that combines bird identification tools, sighting records, and data sharing with researchers. [1] The platform enables users to log bird sightings, identify species using AI or community input, and participate in birdwatching challenges. [2] Birda contributes to conservation efforts by publishing observation data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). [3]

Contents

Overview

Birda operates on a freemium subscription model. The app provides a digital species guide, automatically updated life lists, tools for logging bird sightings, and options for community-based species identification. [2] It is available internationally with regional species lists and multilingual common names. [1] Users may choose to share their sightings with conservation researchers as part of citizen science monitoring projects. [3]

History

Birda developed from an earlier wildlife platform created by its founders. In 2012, John and Natalie White launched Tracking the Wild , a wildlife sightings platform in Southern Africa. It officially launched in 2014 with a website and mobile apps. In 2017, they shifted focus to birdwatching and released Chirp Birding. After a rebrand and funding round in 2020, the platform relaunched as Birda in 2022. [1] [2]

Birda launched in the United Kingdom in January 2022, in the United States in September 2022, and subsequently became available worldwide. [4] Apple featured Birda as its "App of the Day" in around 150 countries, including the United States. [5]

Data use

Birda publishes bird observation records to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, contributing a global dataset of community sightings. [6] The platform also maintains a species guide that covers all known bird species, which has been cited in peer-reviewed research. [7] [8] [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chepape, Lesego (27 February 2023). "Q&A: What is the Birda app and how does it work?". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Birda founders describe their expansive birding app". BirdWatching. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 "App for bird lovers gets people out into nature while helping bird, wildlife conservation". Fox News. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "Creating a worldwide community where twitchers can flock together – Birda's John and Natalie White". BizNews. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  5. ↑ "Birda – App of the Day". Apple App Store. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "Birda – Global Observation Dataset". GBIF. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  7. ↑ Rubel, Alan (2025). "Digital Platforms, Privacy, and the Ethics of Wildlife Information Sharing". Philosophy & Technology. 38 (22). doi:10.1007/s13347-025-00841-4 . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Article Title" (PDF). Journal Name. 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  9. ↑ Chan, Boon Heng (2024). "Predation on a snake by the White-crested Laughingthrush in Singapore" (PDF). Nature in Singapore. 17: 105–110. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
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