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EBird App Complaints & User Negative Comments 2024
EBird app received 57 complaints, negative comments and reviews by users. Have you ever had a bad experience using EBird? Can you share your negative thoughts about ebird?
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EBird for Negative User Reviews
✓ Unusable due to crashesI can no longer submit observations because the app crashes every single time I use it. App has always been unstable but it is now unusable. CBCs will be extremely difficult without this app so please fix this asap.Version: 2.15.5
✓ Great idea but clunkyDoes not seem to link to the (excellent) Merlin app as claimed, despite me being signed in to both and restarting both apps. Checklist system seems unintuitive. I suspect the web interface might be better but have not tried it yet. Would be preferable if you could simply track sightings in the Merlin app rather than trying to use this inferior app..Version: 1.9.0
✓ Photo submissions necessaryAt the heart of it, the app is fine. It does, however, miss the critical feature of allowing photos to be attached on the mobile app. You can add photos on the website, but sometimes transferring these photos over is a pain. This is really the only thing I believe is missing..Version: 2.13.1
✓ Good app when it works!Since I switched to iPhone X and iOS 13, it can’t connect to the database to populate species for a chisen location. I am stuck with using the web version, to my disapointment. I sent a support ticket but no reply. Pierre Richard.Version: 1.9.6
✓ What a messThis app is just so hard to enjoy. How can it be so painful to just list birds..Version: 2.6.1
✓ L’application ne fonctionne pas23 mars 2018. Je viens de m’abonner et télécharger l’application et elle ne fonctionne pas.Version: 1.6.5
✓ You don’t need my precise locationI already have a ton of app tracking me. You don’t need my precise location to do your tracking. Please remove this requirement or I’ll just stop using your app. I’m use the app for the sake of helping with your research. Not so you can collect my data and do who knows what with it..Version: 2.4.0
✓ No longer access after latest updatePreviously no issues with eBird but today tried to open and cannot access on my iPad. Just shows eBird Cornell first page then shuts down. What is the problem and how do I fix it..Version: 2.15.3
✓ I hate this app more every dayAnd it has completely ruined Merlin somehow. I think I will just get a paper journal. It would make life easier. I used to be able to save just a single species I saw while out and about on Merlin. Now it forces me to eBird and forces me to start a timed count. I saw a bird on my way to work. I am not starting a freaking timed count. Now Merlin no longer allows me to save birds just to Merlin but now forces me to Go to eBird, which takes forever and doesn’t work half the time. Birding used to be stress free..Version: 2.17.0
✓ Not badA bit convoluted but useful. The setting for the birds' common name language doesn't seem to stick: I change it to French but it keeps reverting to English? 🤷♂️.Version: 2.12.0
✓ Great framework, but needs some improvementsI got this app when I got Merlin to help me identify and keep track of the birds I see. I love how easily you can switch between Merlin to eBird to log a bird that was identified, and how you can download specific area packs instead of all birds in the country. It’s great to have a checklist like this in my pocket when out in the field! However, I have one bug that I’ve had trouble with, and a suggestion. First off, I can’t use the explore tab to look at local hotspots. When I pick a location, the app crashes every time. That’s a bummer, especially when I wanted to scout a location to see what was in the area. As for my suggestion, it would be nice to have more options when making a checklist. For example, if there were counters for male, female, and juvenile, I feel like that might make for more precise and organized data. Perhaps an ambiguous or unknown option as well for species that look identical regardless of sex. After bug fixes and further improvements in the future, I feel like this would be an even more useful tool..Version: 2.6.3
✓ TerribleI’m pleased this App was free because it’s awful. I have found online guidance on how to add my life list but it bears no resemblance to the actual App. I sent a query to App support and they just sent me the online link I’d already found. Not a waste of money but a total waste of time..Version: 1.7.0
✓ All my personal locations and checklists GONE!I guess I shouldn't be surprised, another update for this free software that has gone badly awry. All checklists and personal locations are GONE with the latest update. Absolutely terrible. Make sure you have uploaded all your checklists before updating....Version: 1.2.1
✓ Bird PacksAt the moment it doesn't work stuck on installing a bird pack. It shouldn't take more than a minute to install a 8mb pack but it has been trying for 10 minutes and the progress widget hasn't moved..Version: 2.17.1
✓ Bad updateAgree with the other reviewer below that the latest updates to this app have virtually eliminated the most useful features of eBird for me. Specifically the “Explore” section, which seems not to have the ability to check recent sightings in a particular area anymore. How could they possibly think it was a good idea to do that?! I’m very disappointed that one of my go-to, daily apps is no longer of much use to me..Version: 2.18.1
✓ ChecklistI haven’t used this app much so far mainly because I really just want a running checklist of birds I have seen whenever or wherever. It seems this app has a checklist but it is per outing/location/day and I have to start a new list each new day when I go to add a species. Nothing wrong with that, just not what I’m looking for. If it has the kind of checklist I am looking for, I can’t figure it out..Version: 2.13.2
✓ Great overall but one thingI love this app overall, it’s quite helpful. I just wish that you could see checklists submitted on the actual webpage itself say from your laptop would show up on your app. That would be so amazing..Version: 2.13.2
✓ Another “down” dateThis is why I’ve stopped donating $ to them. They use it to make things worse. They just changed things (again)—now, you have to memorize the complete list of breeding codes or wait til you have internet to look them up. Why?!? They always took a good thing and try to figure out the best way to make it worse!!.Version: 2.11.0
✓ It could have been so much better!I’ve used this app for a few years now and I’ve encountered several issues with it. If you are lucky enough to spot a bird that they don’t believe should be in your area and you report it, you’ll likely get an email explaining why you couldn’t possibly have seen such a bird and then they ask you for pictures so they can properly identify the bird. Obviously it doesn’t matter how long we’ve been birding or how many bird books we have, if eBird says that bird shouldn’t be here, well it’s just not possible. There are times when you can’t even record a sighting of a bird in your area because eBird won’t even list the bird as being in your area. This is so frustrating and a huge injustice to all of us who would like to help contribute to where birds are actually being sighted..Version: 2.13.1
✓ No SyncronyI have at least five apps from eBird/Merlin, some of which I have paid for. Unfortunately, it seems that each app is independent from each other and the same app on two devices do not sync with each other. I use IOS as these apps are created for, so don't tell me that I have to go to a laptop to make any changes. Why do you continue to make apps that can't connect with each other. I have bird lists everywhere. I've decided to use my eBird World app, as my main list app, but how do I bring my other lists from your other apps, together?.Version: 1.0.0
✓ Not really user friendlyMost times I’m standing in my house viewing birds from the window. I dislike having to “start checklist” and have it running like I’m actually walking around seeking various birds to log. There should be an option to just log one at a time at that very moment without having a duration. This app is just too complicated and doesn’t have the capability to search by characteristic in the Merlin app. I only really use that to search by sound. I typically end up using my Audubon app bc theirs is all in one to search by characteristics and easily log when you see one..Version: 2.15.6
✓ No longer works.This app was great but it no longer works since I got my new iPhone XR. I just get repeated errors that eBird servers are down. It appears to be no longer supported..Version: 1.8.2
✓ Great idea, coding is horrible and therefore educationThe app repeatedly will not load information, claims that internet connection is not strong enough even thought internet tests indicate internet is functioning as normal, only one location’s data will load and then no others. I am using a fully updated Gen 2 SE, it is frustrating to see such a great idea die because of poor app design/execution.Version: 2.10.0
✓ Glitch since latest updateDatabase of birds does not show up since update 1.6.0 ... can’t enter any counts. Also noticed I lost all my checklists too..Version: 1.6.0
✓ Great, with some caveatsOf course this app does what it says - nothing all that groundbreaking there. Two particular issues: 1. It is a battery hog. Even when I lock my phone and put it away, it seems to be draining my battery. Not sure if it's using my GPS while in use or what but it's very annoying. 2. I have no idea why, but the default keyboard is the alternate one on iPhone (number and symbols) when you click in the field to type common name/species codes. Again, very annoying..Version: 1.1.5
✓ Useless?Well, seems totally useless. After creating an account I am unable to login and always the ‘Create free account ‘ appears... Seems others have the same problem but hope it gets sorted as it could be a very useful App..Version: 1.8.2
✓ Checklists don't sync between devicesI'm signed into my ebird account but I can only see checklists submitted from this device. I should be able to see all checklists I've submitted from any device when I'm signed in. App needs a field guide so that when you click on a bird you can verify what it looks like (size and field markings), how it sounds, and it's migration map. Especially when using explore feature. Should be able to long press anywhere on the map to make that the center of the search area instead of going through the menus. Otherwise solid..Version: 2.17.1
✓ Add photos from app!Please please please can we add photos from the app? Lack of this feature is making me not post my photos which is unfortunate. Please!.Version: 2.0.12
✓ UselessThis app is of no use, it does not work on my iPad at all (it opens then closes straight away) and on my iPhone it opens OK, but I cannot log in (tells me no internet or server error). Also support is non-existent as they have not even acknowledged my request for help on their website. Does not even deserve the single star I have given it..Version: 1.4.0
✓ Please fix!Since switching to iPhone XR, eBird gives me an error whenever I try and submit my checklists. It won’t download the location lists and therefore I cannot submit my checklists. This app is so great when it works!.Version: 1.9.6
✓ Common names?I must be doing something wrong but I can’t find any way to switch the list to show and search by common names of birds. It’s a total deal breaker that I have to use the scientific names of what we’re seeing. The whole point of the app should be to make it easy but I have to Google every bird I see, find their scientific name and copy/paste it into the app. Total fail. What am I doing wrong or who is this serving best? I don’t get it..Version: 2.11.0
✓ Depuis la nouvelle version, ne démarre plusLors du démarrage, il tente de faire la mise à jour de l'application puis de la base de données puis avant de terminer, il cesse de fonctionner. L'app est donc devenue inutilisable. J'ai un iPod touch..Version: 1.6.2
✓ Please Remove Geolocation RequirementI have been a user of the eBird website and decided to try the app. However, I do not like how you need to turn on geolocation and give the app access to your position in order to submit a list. Please allow users to use a saved personal location without requiring them to turn on their device's geolocation services first. This would help protect users' privacy. From now on I will stick to the website for submitting lists and only use the app for reference or for viewing my already submitted lists. Also, I cannot see the checklists that I submitted online in the app. I have signed into the same EBird account, but my checklists are not visible..Version: 2.3
✓ New version crashesWhenever I start a new checklist, the app crashes. It always used to work. I’ve tried restarting my phone, the app, reinstalling the app, and similar. Still seeing crashes. Updated: I deleted all ebird data on my phone, then reinstalled, now I can use ebird again. Not a great experience, but it is back to being usable..Version: 2.3.1
✓ Don’t update if you’re in iOS!! July 10, 23Your summary history, once available on the app, is now gone & takes a cumbersome search on their website. They keep tweaking the app and each update is worse than the previous. I wish I could revert back to BirdLog! It just getting worse, won’t be updating ever again unless it’s to revert to the tools taken away from us..Version: 2.18.1
✓ Very buggy updateI’m experiencing 2 big problems since upgrading - the language used on checklists is American English Ben though I select British English - location tracking seems to drop sometimes (though maybe this is an issue with my phone). If this happens then the in progress checklist allows me to keep adding birds but the app crashes whenever I try to assign a location to the checklist, even if I delete the path data. iOS 16.1.1 iPhone 8 Ebird 2.15.6/(2.15.22).Version: 2.15.6
✓ Very helpful app, needs some workThe idea behind the app is good but it has a few flaws. Recently it’s started just shutting down with no warning if I’m trying to search sightings away from my actual location, like when I’m anticipating traveling. And it’s very difficult to search for just sightings of a specific species..Version: 2.15.7
✓ Bad appWow, I really wanted to use this app but what a mess it is. The basic process of setting up an account and login is impossible without being sent in circles. For example, the simple act of changing a password does not work. When I tried to change the password, hoping I could login, I clicked on the sent link seconds after receiving the email and it said I had waited for more than 24 hours and the password couldn’t be changed!? Huh?!.Version: 2.5
✓ The best but could be betterI would really like to have an option to create a list that I can check off all the bird species that I have found and be able to share them with my partner on his app. Maybe also have the option to add photos to your finds. Furthermore you could gain badges after you find a certain number of birds in a country, species or type? The layout is also a little clunky. But it’s the best app I have found so far in relation to worldwide species knowledge and information. Thanks.Version: 2.0.10
✓ No response for helpI have not been able to get a help response since April. I cannot log in any more. There may now be a Canada portal but this does not show up as a login option.Version: 2.6.0
✓ CounterintuitiveStupidly hard to use. Common species for my area won’t show up when I try to add them- no workaround, no obvious reason, can’t add them to the list. No support available. They use some free forum and don’t let you contact the developer to report a bug. Plus the design is just boring and ugly. Too bad this is the app of choice for nerdy birders, because surely someone could create something better. Update six months in: two of us are still having to look up the basics to do anything (eg, edit date/ time on a checklist; force rare bird alerts to show even the stated 7 days, let alone more.).Version: 2.13.1
✓ Useless and unreliableApp sometimes, when it works, is good and convenient; however, it is unreliable. A number of times (maybe 7 to 10 times over past 2 to 3 months, it fails, not allowing me to start a checklist. As soon as I click on checklist link, the app quits. I’ve tried closing the app, shutting off phone and restarting only to have the problem continue. I find it incredibly frustrating when I’m out in the field and the app simply won’t work..Version: 2.4.0
✓ Lots of potentials, but needs finition-Can't add photos -Can't add breading code like on their website I would really like too see a "my ebird" section that we could see ours stats. Other than that everything is perfect and Im a big fan of it!.Version: 1.1.5
✓ So frustratingThe Explore section is frustratingly unreliable. The intent is good. See what species have been spotted recently in an area you want to explore? Why, yes! Almost never works, then has the gall to suggest the problem is with the user’s internet connection. How hard can it be to pull results from a database? Perhaps the ornithology department should request the help of the computer science department. You’re Cornell for goodness sake! Please fix this..Version: 2.13.0
✓ DisappointingCreated account and user name twice, won’t let me sign in neither!! I tried to reset password but I have not received an email from either accounts….Version: 2.13.1
✓ Not accurateTo use this apt you download the list for your region/ country. But birds are missing. The makers also decide which birds are rare - and these cannot be listed to presumably protect the species only the lists are wrong. One has also to question the policing of a social list by so called experts most of who are amateurs. There are plus sides to the App but expect to be frustrated.Version: 2.0.10
✓ FrozenI can’t even open the app. Every time I open eBird it tries to update and freezes. I have removed and deleted the app multiple times, then downloaded it again and the same thing just keeps happening. So disappointed. I was really hoping to love this app..Version: 2.15.7
✓ Just doesn’t work wellI love the idea of the app, but it really doesn’t work well. It’s hard to search for birds. It makes me enter unnecessary information. The app keeps freezing when trying to find my location though other apps work fine finding my current location..Version: 2.20.2
✓ Missed opportunityVery poor menu lay-outs and very difficult to see what birds have been reported from certain areas. When uploading my own sightings it is fiddly and allocates place names incorrectly to where you have mapped them..Version: 2.0.3
✓ PoorUnable to log in to app as once password set directed to login again which was refused- extremely poor app.Version: 1.9.6
✓ Getting more cumbersome and harder to useE-Bird was a 5-star application for entering bird sightings. Recent versions just get more cumbersome and harder to use. When starting a bird list, it downloads a list for your location based on the users GPS. Now, when submitting it has to download the full bird list again. Why the need to download twice? Waste of time and data. When picking a location, it used to be easy: enter GPS location, pick a nearby hotspot or use location as given. Now it has to download a full color aerial photo and make you pick a location from that. Aside from the fact that I could not enter an incidental sighting because the map did not cooperate, why waste the time and data with it. The GPS tracking is poor. It is not possible to download the track taken for other purposes (like geo-locating photos) furthermore e-Bird uses much more battery than other GPS tracking applications I use. Finally, while a lot of development has gone into making a clumsier application, it still lacks the ability to upload photos from the field or upload GPS tracks. I still eBird, but will have to leave if development continues its downward trend..Version: 2.7.0
✓ Good mainly for dataWhere eBird soars is in the database and region packs. I’m in Mexico so downloaded the Mexico pack. This, combined with the global contributions from others, makes the app worth it. However, the user experience of the app is quite poor. Having a smooth user experience clearly isn’t a priority. This probably hinders the quality/quantity of the data itself, as I’m sure it turns people away. For example, when you search a hotspot list (e.g. “hawk”), the search is cleared when you try to scroll down the filtered list, so you see the full list, rendering search useless except for the top 3-4 hits (depending on screen size). Also, you cannot actually see information about birds in the app. You can only see metadata for sightings (common name, time & location). For information about birds (photos, range map, etc.) you need another app; Merlin Bird ID is good for that, and links to eBird). Dear Cornell bird lab: please apply for a grant to up your UX game!.Version: 2.4.1
✓ Won’t load…Normally I’d be giving 5 stars but with the latest update it won’t load properly. It stays hung on loading new packs and even after a reboot doesn’t seem to open..Version: 2.6.4
✓ EBird won't open/crashesBeen using eBird for years. Many many checklists saved in the app both reported and unreported. Well, today I updated to 14.2 (or whatever the lates iOS version is) and eBird now will not open at all. Restarted phone, reinstalled app, etc. Nothing works. It is completely inaccessible. I'm very worried my years of unreported data from many places in the world is gone forever. Please help!.Version: 2.4.1
✓ Don’t update!The recent overhaul of the app has reduced, rather than improved, useability of this app. As a daily user, I was quite excited by the prospect of having a shortcut to new checklists. However, I am now forced to deselect tracking and confirm my decision to do so before I can start any list. (I don’t use tracking because I am in the field all day and can’t afford the battery drain). The review page is crowded and hard to read compared to the old version. When a duration is 3 digits long, only the first digit is visible, followed by 3 periods!? So you actually can’t see how long the duration is if you use the auto calculator. The “create new checklist” button has also disappeared from the checklists page. I am also not sure why we now need to go into the map in order to rename an offline location. Advice to ebird would be to please fix the above issues, and in future, maybe change things in baby steps - such a radical overhaul is pretty disruptive to regular users who use ebird as a survey tool. The old version of the app was, for the most part, well-designed and easy to use..Version: 2.0.2
✓ User friendly?Just started using eBird as a recommendation, however not finding it logical in the way I enter my bird findings and locations. Can’t find common names and pics to help me pick the right bird. My location of the sighting could not be found even though it is a state reserve. I’ll keep trying and see how things work out. Wish me luck!.Version: 2.7.0
✓ Useless unless you allow location trackingPlease remove the requirement to enable geotracking in order to use this app. Literally nothing will work without turning on location services. If I’m doing backyard birding I don’t want my exact coordinates on the internet..Version: 2.5.1
🙂 EBird Positive Reviews
EBird works most of the time. If it is not working for you, we recommend you excersise some patience and retry later or contact EBird.
⛔ EBird Problems
