- 81.0LEGITIMACY SCORE
- 82.5SAFETY SCORE
- 4+CONTENT RATING
- $12.99PRICE
Birdwatcher's Diary App User Positive Comments 2024
Birdwatcher's Diary app received 35 positive comments and reviews by users. Can you share your positive thoughts about birdwatcher's diary?
Please wait! Birdwatcher's Diary Facebook comments loading...
Birdwatcher's Diary for Positive User Reviews
✓ The new version fixed the few crashes that I was experiencing.Updated review - Fantastic support and an excellent app. The latest version fixed being "thrown out" of the app and now it works smoothly. I highly recommend this app. Note: when you get it, read the manual first! I used this app to record species seen while on 3 CBCs this season and it worked flawlessly. Even more impressive was when I used my checklists to upload my sightings to eBird. What used to take hours was finished in just a few minutes. Recording the birds in the field real-time with this app is no more challenging than using a notepad. I recommend this app to any birder looking for a way to record your sightings in a very useful manner..Version: 3.2
✓ I won't go birding without itBirdwatcher's Diary ranks next to my binoculars as a necessary tool when bird watching. Its one-handed operation makes it a snap to record the birds seen on a day's outing or a multi-day trip. And for those who are not obsessive listers, it greatly facilitates the process of keeping lists. For more than a year, I have used it on my frequent local outings, for Christmas Bird Counts, and on lengthy trips. The folks at Stevens Software are most helpful -- in preparation for a recent trip to Thailand, they edited a list of Thai birds included the birds' name in the Thai language, so I could use it with my guide. How it simplified not only record-keeping but also reviewing what we had seen at day's end. It is also invaluable when photographing birds. I use it during a day of snapping all-too-similar birds such as fall warblers. Each time I photograph a bird, I touch the bird's name on this app. By syncing the clock on my camera with the iPhone, it allows me to know which bird was in which photo. And the ability of Birdwatcher's Diary to record GPS information, means that I can geo-tag my photos. This is the one birding app which I have found to be indispensable. Of the countless bird books and bird apps that I own, it's the best money I've spent. I won't go birding without it..Version: 4.2
✓ Very good - stands out of the crowdAlthough a little bit cumbersome the first time you try it, after getting the hang of it this proves to be a rather resourceful, feature-rich and inventive app, that puts the focus of the activity in looking for birds itself rather than “playing” with an app while birding. It certainly stands out of the now crowded niche that is apps for recording birds sightings. It offers personalized tags, a very interesting and innovative scroll system to get quickly to a bird a long list, a visualxhearing sight differentiation feature and several options of downloadable lists in various languages that can be personalized both in terms of adding/deleting entries and the way it shows the lists (scientific/ English/ local language name).Version: 8.2
✓ One thumb operationThis is a great app with a lot of featrues I would expect only an experienced birder or twitcher to think of including.. I even manage to walk the dog in my left hand and record sighitings en route just using my right thumb which speaks to ease of navigation..Version: 3.4
✓ Thanks for the taxonomic sort!I have not been able to use all the options this little app has but I have found it easy to use and now that I am able to sort by taxonomic order it is easier to use with my other birding apps, programs and books. Great work and keep it up!.Version: 4.3
✓ Great App for Any ListerUsed this app for the first time during spring migration, and absolutely loved it. This is the first year I'm keeping a year list, and Diary was invaluable. Overall, once you learn how to use it (and there is a bit of a learning curve, so be sure to read the manual on their website), it is a great app for any listing birder. I can't imagine birding without it..Version: 3.5.1
✓ A great tool for recording your sightings quick and easily.I read all the reviews before purchasing this app and was concerned because some users had reported the app as being difficult to learn. Our daughter bought BirdLog and was less than pleased because she reported it to be buggy and I therefore preferred to select an alternative app that works even if it was going to be difficult to master. If you are at all comfortable with use of spreadsheets or other simple data entry utilities, you will find this app very intuitive and easy to use. I spent an hour playing with the app while flipping through the excellent manual and mastered it to the point that I easily recorded all my sightings out on my dog walk this morning. I subsequently exported an eBird list to myself and imported the file as a comma delimited file and ended up with a nice list. The many different free lists of birds also are easy to import from within the app.....slick. Bottom line, I couldn't be happier and recommend this app to all bird listers..Version: 5.1.1
✓ Birdwatcher's DiaryHave used the app for 2 weeks and like not needing to carry pen and paper in the field. Data entry is easy. I submit to Ebird and keep numbers which is very easy. Emailing myself the day's list in Ebird format makes Ebird data entry from my desktop a cinch..Version: 4.2.1
✓ Has its advantages over using a diaryAlthough not the most user friendly app (which is why this doesn't get 5 stars from me) it's a neat bit of kit that accurately records quantities, times, dates and locations of your sightings. With a bit of fiddling you can get it to show you all your recorded sightings on a map. You're meant to be able to upload your own bird lists which it hasn't let me do so far. I can see this being useful in the winter when fumbling about with a pen and paper in freezing cold weather is a nightmare. Not bad..Version: 0
✓ Birdwatcher's DiaryThis is a great App for recording bird sightings. I particularly like the fact that it can Capture GPS Data and that recordings can be loaded directly into eBird. I have recomended it to my Local birdlife Australia group..Version: 6.1.3
✓ Well-designed & intuitive toolBirdwatcher's Diary is a straightforward tool that can be used in the field or at the conclusion of a day in the field (if like me you use some other device to note species observed during the day). And this reviewer appreciates the fact that (unlike so many other apps) it can be used with devices that cannot be updated to the most recent OS: as of this writing it is apparently backward-comaptible to OS 5, and it works splendidly (and with full finctionality) on my iPod Touch 4G (OS 6)..Version: 7.0.1
✓ The Best Bird Listing Program for iOS!I own several bird listing software Apps for iOS, but Birdwatcher's Diary remains my top choice (I don't even bother with the other programs any more). I rely on it for recording observations nearly every day, and submitting them to eBird. I really like the fact that Birdwatcher's Diary grabs very exact Lat/Long coordinates for each species sighting (I'm using a Bluetooth GPS linked to my iPod). This is probably my favorite feature; after a birding trip, it's great to be able to instantly bring up a map of the area showing exactly where I've seen each bird! I also like the ability to easily switch Master Checklists for out-of-state trips, and the ability to customize my Checklists to include eBird "Spuhs" (i.e. "Empidonax sp.", etc.). The Birdwatcher's Diary interface allows for quick entry and works great. Because the program is so flexible and complex, it takes a bit more study to fully master than some of the other Apps out there. However, nothing else can match it's feature set, which makes the effort well worthwhile. Plus, the support from Stevens Creek is top notch - they've consistently improved the eBird upload interface (which is vital to me) and other features of the program. After nearly three years of daily use, Birdwatcher's Diary continues to be the most utilized App on my iPod. I can't image going birding without it!.Version: 7.1
✓ A really useful AppA great way to record your sightings when out birding. Lots of useful features. Well supported, the people at Stevens Creek respond quickly to comments and listen to requests for developments. The app gets better and better. And an added bonus they support bird conservation with 50% of the income from the Birdwatchers' diary..Version: 4.1
✓ Love the flexibilityI have been using this for several months locally and abroad, and am deeply impressed by it’s flexibility. The automatic recording of locations, ability to switch in and out different species lists, using own lists rather than provided ones, all work well for me. It is complex software, and there are odd bugs and infelicities, but overall it works very well, is very stable and robust (I have never lost an observation through fault of this software). Having tried a number of different ways of recording software on handheld devices over about 10 years (no way I am going back to notebook and pen), I’m sticking with this one for a while..Version: 6.1.2
✓ Love it!I try to keep lists of the birds I see and submit them to ebird but find that if I manage to keep the list I get lazy when it's time to do the data entry. This app takes care of both! I can easily keep a list in the field or the backyard and with just a couple of clicks submit it to ebird with no data entry needed! I've actually submitted more lists in the last two months than in all the time since ebird came out. It's a wonderful product and several friends have been impressed with mine and gotten it for themselves! Update for 5.0.1 The new features are GREAT! You can download lists directly from their servers, instantly adding them to your app. Now you can also upload directly to ebird instead of email and then uploading. This is so much faster and easier and allows you to upload lists while in the field. Nice! Another neat thing is uploading sightings and maps to Facebook. Want to share your great sighting? NO problem! I still use this app nearly every day and it just keeps getting better and better. Kudos to Steven's Creek Software. This is a fantastic app. Updating again. This app still rocks and Stevens Creek Software is great! They listen to their users and make corrections and add improvements quickly. It just keeps getting better and better and the customer service couldn't be better..Version: 6.0
✓ Parfait ou presqueJe possède et utilise énormément cette application depuis 2012, au début sur un IPod touch et ensuite sur 2 IPhone (5 et maintenant 11pro). Je n’ai malheureusement pas testé sur d’autre plateforme. Un peu difficile à maîtriser au début car pas très intuitif. Une fois cette étape passée, l’application devient facile à utiliser. Je vous recommande fortement de vous accorder ce temps d’apprentissage et de ne pas juger négativement trop vite l’application. Vous en serez reconnaissant par la suite. Vous pouvez créer vos propres listes et les importer aisément dans Birdwatcher. Par exemple, j’ai utilisé le champ « Local name » pour inscrire le nom français et le champ « Note » pour le statut et l’abondance des espèces. Ce qui est très pratique car ensuite il est possible d’afficher 2 des 3 noms (anglais (common name), français, scientifique). Vous comprendrez que selon le lieu et les gens avec qui vous vous trouvez cela simplifie la communication. Je me crée aussi des listes particulières pour les voyages à l’extérieur de ma région et autres pays, ce qui permet d’avoir en tout temps des listes plus courtes. Pas nécessaire de tout saisir, récupérer les listes sur internet, les clubs d’ornithologie locaux en possèdent ainsi que les associations telle que l’AOU. Il est aussi possible de créer votre propre liste de phrases courtes qui peuvent être ajoutées en un simple click dans le champ note de l’observation. Très utile pour les notes qui reviennent fréquemment en évitant les erreurs de saisie et la complexité d’utilisation du clavier sur le téléphone. Je sauvegarde régulièrement sur le terrain les observations quotidiennes localement et sur Dropbox afin de ne rien perdre. Malheureusement, il faut exécuter les deux sauvegardes en deux opérations et, en plus un message de confirmation apparaît chaque fois lors de la sauvegarde locale ce qui est un peu irritant. Il est facile d’exporter le fichier produit et ensuite de l’importer dans Excel pour ajouter ces observations à votre carnet personnel. J’utilise très peu l’application pour fusionner les listes et les observations, je préfère grandement Excel pour ce genre d’opération. Par contre, sur le terrain, cette option est parfois utile pour rechercher une observation réalisée lors d'excursion antérieure. Le guide utilisateur sur le site web du fabricant n’est pas très précis. Il est difficile d’y repérer rapidement l'information que l’on souhaite obtenir. Le guide se résume à une seule longue page sans index ni hyperliens. Je vous recommande de la lire une fois ou deux pour bien comprendre le fonctionnement de l’application et y repérer les informations utiles à la configuration et personnalisation de l’application. Birdwatcher nécessite un rajeunissement et des améliorations mineures seraient souhaitables tant au niveau du fonctionnement que l’ajout de champs aux listes d’oiseaux et d’observations. Finalement, malgré les quelques irritants et le vieillissement, l’application fonctionne très bien et mérite grandement de prendre le temps requis à son apprentissage..Version: 8.2
✓ Great addition to any birdwatcher's toolkitVery happy to see this great app is available again and working well😊 I've been using this app for many years now and have decided that I no longer need to take pen, paper and a GPS with me when I go birdwatching. Species encountered can be located with a couple of taps, recorded with another tap, notes about the encounter recorded with another couple of taps via the user-configurable phrase list. Downloading and installing the Australian list was simple. I have since downloaded the New Zealand list and used it when I was over there just recently. The ability to record multiple sightings of the same species has proved invaluable for the monitoring I do of Hooded Plovers during the breeding season. The ability to archive data locally and to DropBox is great, as is the ability to configure the format of the output (eg. CSV or TXT format, which fields to include/exclude). Highly recommended and well worth the money. Neil Shelley Victoria, Australia.Version: 8.3
✓ May '12 upgradeBig improvement. Butt-dialing almost completely eliminated. I like the fact that I don't have to use a keyboard while in the field and scrolling & tapping takes exactly the same time as scribbling abbreviations in my note book. Final eBird upload from home PC probably makes for MORE accurate reports. Five stars if the manual weren't so dense. Still, definitely worth the $..Version: 4.3
✓ Ten Bucks Well SpentBirders have spreadsheets and database programs to keep track of their life lists, state lists, county lists, country lists, and yard lists. What they haven't had is a means to easily record the ID, time, precise location, and other info regarding their bird sightings in realtime in the field. Birdwatcher's Diary fills that space admirably. Support for BD is responsive and friendly. They have fixed every bug I have reported, added features I've asked for, and made the app faster. Better yet, half the proceeds from the sale of BD is donated to the conservation, research, and education work of wild bird organizations. Do yourself and the birds a favor. Buy this app..Version: 3.0
✓ Enjoying this bird app, works just as describedDownloaded this app, hoping that it would be work the cost. I have found to be worth every penny, its fully featured with excellant manual to explain how to use all of the features. Simple enough for a backyard birder to use, but has all the features that a dedicated birder needs. I read reviews stating that ebird was not well supported but that has been taken care of and it now sends info directly to ebird. I have been able to add new lists from the developers site to my iPhone as well as creating a bird list for my home state ! The developer is very responsive and plans to continue his support and development..Version: 4.1
✓ Great app for serious birders, excellent supportVery well designed for serious birders. Easy to use in the field, uses iPhone GPS to automatdocument location.Version: 6.1.3
✓ A great tool!I’ve been using BW Diary for a few years now and it’s steadily improved over that time. For field use it’s pretty well sorted now and allows fast, easy recording of sightings, with the bonus of integration with eBird. Because it’s pretty feature packed the learning curve is moderate but the online manual is pretty good and support from the developers is excellent. Recommended.Version: 7.0.1
✓ Outstanding!An updated review. The application continues to improve on an already great product. The developers respond quickly to questions and suggestions. If you have any interest in recording observations in the field electronically, Birdwatcher's Diary is worth a careful look. Records can be exported via email or iTunes file sharing in several formats including for submission to eBird..Version: 4.1
✓ Excellent applicationI really like this app! I'm impressed with how well-thought out and powerful it is. The main idea behind this app is to help you enter your records quickly so that you have more time to bird, and they have done a great job achieving that goal. I keep all my official birding records in eBird, and I really appreciate that they have worked hard to fully support interfacing with my eBird records. I was able to import all of my historical eBird records into the app. And now I am using the app all the time whenever I create new records, and I have exported the new records out of the app and into eBird. Once you learn how to do all this, it is quite easy. I will say that you should be prepared to spend time learning this app, but that is not because poorly designed. It is more just because the app is powerful and it can do a lot. There are a few different screens and you need to kind of learn how these screens work, how to create new lists, add to them, change the location when you move to a different birding area, how to clear all the records on the screen after you've saved them to an archive, how to "recall" an old list of birds, etc. I don't think there is any way they could have made all of this immediately super easy or totally intuitive. The user manual is long, very well written and detailed. I recommend planning to spend time reading it (I printed it out-all 57 pages, and now they've updated it for the new release so it may even be a little longer). Now that I've read the manual and learned how to use the app, I'm very happy with it, but it did take a little time to really get "fluent" with the app. if you don't care about using eBird, it would be easier for you. The *reward* of putting in the time to learn the app is being able to keep bird lists very quickly. Also if you take time to learn this app it will make it MUCH easier to keep records for a "big day" of birding at say, 6 different locations. Birdwatchers Diary keeps track of all the different locations for you and you can export it all to eBird as a single file, and the file gets automatically separated out in eBird into lists for each different location. I will definitely use this app for Christmas Counts. I'm glad to see that Stevens Creek is actively working to improve and support the application. When I sent in a couple questions about managing the exporting of records to eBird, I received very prompt and articulate support. Finally, it is great that they are able to give a portion of the cost of the app to support local bird conservation education and research. When you consider that plus how well designed and powerful tha app is, it's an unbelievable bargain..Version: 4.3.1
✓ BiologistI have used the software for several years for professional and recreational activities and like the fact that I can record the lat/long location for each observation (with some limitations). Great for eBird submittals. The current version (6.1.3) seems to work fine on iPhone 6 (4.7 in) and iOS 8.0 as of Sept 21, 2014..Version: 6.1.3
✓ Best birding list out thereUpdated review: I've been using this app for 3 years now, and I wouldn't even consider using another bird listing app. My paper notebook is entirely gone. Spot a bird, tap it on the list, enter the number, and you're done. Exact time and GPS coordinates are automatically recorded. It has a myriad of options to customize your experience and speed data entry. It also includes very rich query and reporting features, and (now) supports direct upload to eBird from within the app. One word of warning, it does take a llittle bit of practice to do the initial setup and get the hang of the UI. Absolutely spend an hour to read the user guide on-line, watch the tutorials, and try it for a few trial runs to get the settings right and get the hang of it. If you don't do this, you'll delete the app in frustration the first time you try to use it. But once you're up and going you'll never go back. One last note, customer support is very responsive (can't say the same for some competing apps). Problems or suggestions are promptly addressed - and that's worth a lot..Version: 5.2.1
✓ Excellent toolI've been using this product for over a year now. Even though there's a bit of a learning curve it's well worth the effort (really folks, just read the documentation). I've used Birdwatcher's Diary on Christmas Bird Counts and other field surveys and it's worked great; as a compiler for one CBC and co-compiler for a second, I'm very particular about keeping lists accurately. Now that the latest release directly uploads my lists to eBird from my iPhone, it's just indispensable. I tested it with two lists today, one that I created yesterday while in the field and one that I created back in June and archived but forgot to upload. Both were uploaded quickly (from my iPhone) and within a minute or so I was able to see the results in the "My eBird" area of eBird (from my laptop computer). Birdwatcher's Diary is a wonderful app and I highly recommend it..Version: 5.0.1
✓ Useful in many ways.Have used Birdwatcher’s diary for several years in the USA, Mexico, and South America. It is a wonderful program that greatly enhances the enjoyment of birding. It is easy to use in the field and at home in collating data. It provides a useful format for historical records, whether for personal use or for uploading to eBird. The Stevens Creek Software team is highly responsive to inquiries and in providing app updates when necessary..Version: 8.0
✓ Excellent!I recommend this app for any birder who wants to keep track of and record their sightings. I've been using this app since the beginning of the summer (2010) and I really like it! There is a short learning curve, but if I had read the manual first, rather than recording bird sightings for a while, I would have had no issues in the beginning. There's so many good features in this app - I'll try to point a few out that I particularly like. First of all, if you don't have wi-fi or cell service where you are birding, you can keep your sightings on your device until you do. That may seem like a no-brainer, but the other app I used first did not have this feature. I love the 'NONE' location: you can set up locations, but there is a 'NONE' location that you can use any time you see a bird anywhere. I'm always birding, so I may see something when I'm driving, looking out the window, etc. so there is an easy way to record that sighting without having to set up a location first. You have several options as far as recording where you see a bird. You can record all the birds at one location (park, field trip, etc.) at one gps coordinate, or you can record each one exactly where you saw it. You can also not record gps coordinates and/or find that location on a map. Getting your sightings off your device is also easy--just email them to yourself, or transfer when you are syncing. Couldn't be easier. You can send your sightings in ebird format, google maps format, and custom format - or all 3 if you wish. It's so excellent to get a google map showing all your sightings! I had attempted doing this sort of thing before this app was available, and I spent hours and hours doing it. I went to Arizona in August on a birding trip, and downloaded the Arizona bird list to my iphone. Voila, I had all the birds I needed to tick off. When I got back to California, I switched to the California list. There are other lists available, and apparently one can easily create a list (in .txt format) and load it into your device. This is a great app and I will definitely continue using it, and recommend it to other birders who want to keep up with their sightings!.Version: 0
✓ 50 Years Of BirdingI've been using Birdwatcher's Diary (BD) for about a year now and loved it from the start. I've also been an ebirder since its inception. Initially it was a pain going through the download, save, upload to ebird routine. It was still easier that transcribing from my "Rite in the Rain". BirdLog offered a listing app that allowed direct upload to ebird so, I paid the, exorbitant $ for the app and used it for about a week. BirdLog wasn't bad but it was just a little more cumbersome. I really missed BD's quick tap system to get the info That I wanted to enter quickly so, I went back to using BD just because it was easier to use in the field and there is always more time back home to do the ebird entries. Now, with BD version 5.0.1 I can input data to ebird directly from BD...even in the field if I have cell or wi-fi coverage. I also us the North American Butterflies list that come with the app. I can't wait till you put out a mammals list so I don't have to do it myself...Yeah, I'm a little lazy. Thank you so much Stevens Creek Software. You guys rock..Version: 5.0.1
✓ Outstanding app for birdersThis app is a game changer. No more need for a notepad to keep track of species and numbers seen. The app also records the time and GPS info for your sightings. At the end of the day you can upload your info directly to Ebird or send your list by email..Version: 6.1.2
✓ Great App for Data Collectors & ListersI have tried a number of birding apps (including the new eBird app) and this is by far the best. I love the flexibility that it allows. I have total control over my data. I can create my own locations and record unique lat/long down to 100 foot intervals and export it to multiple formats, including eBird. A few hiccups in eBird uploads when eBird makes changes, but a big thanks to the developers for quickly adapting to these changes!.Version: 7.0.4
✓ Allan RichardsonHi all, I've just downloaded the latest update for Birdwatcher's Diary (4.3) after using the previous version for a couple of months. I work as a professional ecologist undertaking fauna surveys and after a week of fieldwork and a month or so of casual birdwatching I've gotten to know Birdwatcher's Diary fairly well. I have found it an invaluable tool for recording bird sitings in the field. One of the onerous elements of recording sitings is the jotting down of essential information like dates, times and exact locations, especially for threatened species, Birdwatcher's Diary includes all of this information every time you record a bird making data entry and management a breeze and allows easy transfer of data to friends or yourself (by email) and your computer (easily transferrable into numbers or excel files). The management and updating of your data as GIS locations viewable in maps on your device is excellent and there are many practical features to allow the easy entering of data to facilitate fast yet detailed data entry even when bird activity is high. The ability to add your own lists is excellent and allows the addition of other fauna groups such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates or plants and targeted trip lists should you have the need. Added features in the update, like the ability to add of your own photos for a species is appreciated as is the highlighting feature for species, which helps to prevent the accidental entry of records into your list while holding your device in your hand and easy editing and note taking for individual species. This application does not take up a lot of room on your device, but is powerful in amount of data you can easily store. Steven's Creek Software's commitment to updating the software in response to feedback of field folk is commendable and appreciated. Highly recommended Allan Richardson NSW Australia.Version: 4.3
✓ Too many bugsHas potential, but still far too many bugs to make this useful. Despite reporting these, particularly issues to do with saving & deleting data files ( the files reappear) I have had no correspondence from the developer nor have they been corrected in version 2.1. Whilst there is a "UK list" the names are American. For the moment save your £5.99! 8th Dec 2010 Just increased my rating from 1 to 4 stars. There seem to be regular updates now and developing into a really useful app. The icons still have a slightly old fashioned look.Version: 0
✓ Fantastic app!I tried the app out birding in Ohio this weekend. Saw 96 species, was able to make entries in seconds, faster than my friends using paper checklists. The app stores data by day. There is an option to merge lists for several days even allowing you to make a "trip list" so to speak. I emailed the list to myself, no problem. Read the manual first! I found the interface confusing initially, but the manual walks you right through. After testing this app in the field, I'm very satisfied with it and would recommend it to any birder!.Version: 3.5.1
😕 Birdwatcher's Diary Negative Reviews
