Picture it: you come upon a fork in a new trail—surrounded by unfamiliar greenery and a strange new bird call you just can’t place, unsure what to do next. While we typically encourage unplugged exploring for full immersion…there are a few exceptions. Equipped with apps that make connecting with the outdoors more accessible, you can confidently choose the right trail, identify unknown species, add to your life lists, and more.
For Beginning Birders: Merlin Bird ID
Still getting the hang of birding? Developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Merlin makes bird ID a breeze. Their sound ID feature—think Shazam for bird calls—listens and identifies who’s trying to say hello with the help of a visual spectrogram. Saw a flash of a bird without capturing its sound? Their photo ID and step by step features can give you the best guesses to name your sighting based on location, time, behavior, and visual clues.
Try it at Mass Audubon: Bring Merlin along on your next bird walk or sanctuary visit to practice identifying birds in real time.
For Checklist Chasers: eBird
Once you’re comfortable in your bird IDing, take the next step and log it on eBird. Also from the Cornell Lab, eBird helps you record your sightings, keep life lists, and explore nearby “hotspots”. It’s a favorite among experienced birders for the competitive drive leaderboards inspire. Personalized alerts keep you up to date when a bird you haven’t seen comes around. Plus, every eBird checklist adds to a massive database that scientists and conservation groups, including Mass Audubon, use to track bird populations and migration patterns.
Try it at Mass Audubon: Many Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries are considered birding hotspots on eBird—in fact, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton and Northampton has the most observed species in central and western MA on eBird. Wellfleet Bay in South Wellfleet has 312 species recorded including rarities such as Black-necked Stilt, Gull-billed Tern, and Lazuli Bunting.
Submit your sightings from hotspot sanctuaries to help contribute valuable data right where conservation happens. Or, join a program to learn more about how to utilize eBird to grow your hobby and contribution to science.
For Explorers on the Move: AllTrails
Reach new heights, go longer distances, and cover as much ground as you can with AllTrails. We love the ability to search for hiking trails with filters related to difficulty, time, elevation, features, and more. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly loop or a longer adventure, it can help you plan your visit and stay safe outdoors.
Try it at Mass Audubon: Many sanctuary trails are listed on AllTrails—just search for your destination to explore maps and reviews before you go. Things are always changing, however, and many AllTrails routes are user-generated so be sure to confirm with the sanctuary’s trails page for the most accurate and up to date information.
For Budding Observers: Seek by iNaturalist
Next time you come across an unknown plant or insect, simply aim your phone camera and Seek does the rest! Rack up your sightings and join challenges to earn badges. No account needed, making it safe for younger explorers to learn more too.
Note: With species appearance changing often and varying degrees of photo quality, it’s always smart to confirm your ID with multiple sources.
Try it at Mass Audubon: Pick a sanctuary, choose your trail, and seek out plants and insects you find along the way.
For Communities of Nature Lovers: iNaturalist
Seek helps you ID plants and insects just as Merlin does for birds—but iNaturalist lets you turn those finds into real data for community science, just like eBird. iNaturalist connects your curiosity with the collective knowledge of a global community. Snap a photo, upload it, and its users will help identify it. Plus, every observation helps scientists track biodiversity and understand how species are changing over time.
Try it at Mass Audubon: Mass Audubon has our own iNaturalist initiative to compile a catalog of the biodiversity present at our wildlife sanctuaries. All of our sanctuaries are a "Project" that you can contribute to. Make sure to scroll through the leaderboard to see the standing of your favorite sanctuary.
Bonus! For Analog Aficionados: Printed Field Guides
Sometimes you just want to flip through a real book! If apps really aren’t your thing and you’re set on unplugging, be sure to pack a handy field guide. Check out the Mass Audubon Shop for local bird, plant, and animal guides.
From Screen to Sanctuary
These apps make it easy to connect what you see in nature with your drive for knowledge and conservation. Whether you’re logging your first bird sighting or joining a challenge, your observations matter. So, download an app, find a wildlife sanctuary, and join us on the trails—you never know what you may find!
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