Lugging a book around the field can be work - which you might not always want. For casual ID, for keeping life long lists, or for simple ease, a phone app can be an excellent way to ID what you see without the extra weight. Below is a list of apps that I use and trust. For an important or tricky ID, I find apps can be a good start, but I often end up using an app/book combo.
There are three main apps that we will use for our BioBlitz. Find the app that fits your needs and more information in the boxes on this page!
iNaturalist is a community driven science app that helps you ID species and get feedback from other naturalists and scientists from around the world. This app tracks everything from moss to large mammals, and is a great way to get a snapshot of the world around you. You can also contribute by adding your own ID to other people's observations!
iNaturalist does require an account, but that allows you to save and share your lists. We strongly encourage you to try it out!
For more information, visit the iNaturalist website linked below:
Seek is a sister app to iNaturalist, and is used for more casual observations. It gives you a good start on identifying an organism. The best thing about it is that you don't need an account to get started - just download the app and go! You can link you iNaturalist account directly to Seek so that you can upload your observations to get feedback. Unfortunately, you must upload the observations as you create the observations; you can't go back and upload an observation later.
eBird is a bird tracking app run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Using the extensive database of birds housed at the Macaulay Library, eBird allows you to track birds based on the region you are in, and lets you keep a life list of all the birds you've ever seen. One of the best birding apps out there, eBird works hand in hand with the Merlin identification app. You can find more information on the Field Guides page of this research guide!
