Top Five apps for Bird watchers
Birding is one of the favourite hobbies for most of us. If you are one of those who would love to cultivate the new hobby of the block, you should begin with identifying the birds. Maybe we are aware of the common birds we find around us, but what about the migratory birds? There are apps that help you with the task. We will go through our top list of bird watching apps that you can use for the purpose.
Bird watching or Birding is one of the hobbies that has been on the rise of late. The major prerequisite to the hobby is to know and identify the birds that you find around you. Do note that the common birds you may find around - though may look similar - may have different names, and belong to an entirely different genre. If you are one of those who is just starting out on the efforts to become a bird watcher, you may need the apps that would help you identify the birds. Let us analyse a couple of bird watching apps in the following paragraphs.BirdsEye
Well, this should be the best option if you are just about to start Birding. It caters to a global audience than the region specific apps we normally find. 
BirdsEye is indeed a great birding app. Thousands of bird watchers swear by it. "It's like having thousands of local birding experts in your pocket,"
says Kenn Kaufman who is a member of the team that created the app.
BirdsEye has a collection of thousands of birds. You can just choose a specific bird from the database, and the app will tell you where you can find them. You will even be provided with the directions to the region. You can also search by your location, and find which birds can be found in your region.
The app has images of the birds so that you can identify the birds. It also comprises of bird sounds (also called Bird calls) so that you can identify the birds even when you can't see them.EBird
EBird can rightly be considered to be the pioneer in the field of bird watching. What makes it a great choice is its beginner friendly nature. 
EBird is a global database for bird watching records. The database is compiled thousands of bird watchers across the world. You can enter the bird sightings on the app. However, do take note of the fact that EBird will demand a significant proof in support of your findings.
EBird does come with a wider range of advanced features to let you practice bird watching in a professional manner. It can access your GPS location so that the sightings can be recorded accurately. EBird being a popular app, you can connect with hundreds of bird watchers in your area itself.
The app offers you offline functionality as well. Since it can identify the location you are at, it offers you a list of birds that have been spotted at the location by other bird watchers before.
The app is both free and best suited for the beginners. You can download it both for Android and iOS.Merlin
The app comes from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If you are not yet sure that you are capable of identifying the birds on your own, this can be an excellent choice for you.
The Bird ID app from Merlin works best when you want to identify the bird you have just spotted. You only need to answer a few questions that the app would be asking you. Merlin ID goes on with a series of questions and narrows down the possibility of the precise identification of the bird you have sighted. The app has information about over 400 varieties of birds from the American region itself.
The results that Merlin offers you are quite accurate. It lets you zero in on the exact bird with the aid of a huge list of images and videos, and even the bird calls.
The app may not be useful for the bird watchers from India or elsewhere. Merlin ID can only identify the birds from Canada, and the US.
You can download the app for Android and iOS.Larkwire
The app is available only for iOS. You can choose either of the two apps that Larkwire has on offer. One of the apps is meant for Waterbirds, while the other is for the Land birds.
The app is quite easy to use. It has well-built tutorials that let you know the intricacies of bird songs. The app has the similar sounding bird calls grouped together. That would help you differentiate between the sounds by listening to them carefully.
The Larkwire app excels with its functionality as it provides you great sound quality. The application also provides you expert help to aid you in becoming an expert when it comes to bird watching. The grouping of different species together is what we would treat to be the best feature that sets it apart from the competitors.
The app, as stated above, is available only for iOS. Android users can use the web based version. The functionality is limited to North American region alone.eGuide to Bird Watching
The eGuide to Bird Watching for the Indian Subcontinent is definitely the best option for finding the birds and their information in India and surrounding locations. You will find the app useful in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The app being local in nature; it would definitely be helpful in finding and bird watching in the Indian localities. The app has a collection of over 1300 species of the birds found in the region. A couple of features that make it worth considering can be High-resolution images, maps indicating where to find a particular bird and detailed information on the individual species of the birds.
The app also features an option named Bird Compare to let you compare two birds on the same screen. You can also have your Personal Bird List that includes the list of birds you have spotted.
The app can be downloaded for both Android and iOS. It would cost you Rs. 1700.The Concluding Thoughts
Well, that can be a representative list of the best bird watching apps that would help you cultivate the hobby of birding. We have made it a point to include those apps that would suit the beginners rather than the experts in the birding arena. Unfortunately, there are not many apps that would help you in the Indian subcontinent. We would be glad to know your views on the apps featured in this list. Expert inputs from those who are already into bird watching would be welcome as they would be lending a helping hand to the ones who want to take their first steps in the birding.
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That's a splendid piece of information. I am an intent bird watcher, but I never had the idea that apps could help me out in this. Do keep us informed about more such offbeat technological advancements.