Bird Listing Software Review 2017

Updated 3rd March, 2017

eBird has elevated the listing game with a free online application that can be used anywhere in the world. Although popular among many users, eBird is not the only player in the listing field. At least a dozen other listing packages are available, free or commercially. An initial review of several of these packages was published on the surfbird website in Feb 2016 and ABA did their own review in the fall of 2016. Both reviews I felt, were lacking depth, nor were they conducted in a systematic manner. This page provides a summary of the in-depth review of eight listing programs and a high-level review of seven additional listing packages.

Listing programs that were part of the in-depth comparative review included: Bird Journal, Birder’s Diary, Birders Notebook, eBird, iGoTerra, Observation.org, Scythebill and Swift. This comparative reviewed focused on 1) Integration with eBird; 2) Taxonomic list support: 3) Data entry; 4) Reporting; 5) Mobile version; and 6) Noteworthy features. A detailed narrative of this comparative review and a review of each listing package can be found in the Test Garden Tech Bird section. A summary of this comparative review is provided in the table below and provides a high-level overview of many of the key features of these packages as well as seven other listing programs. Information in this table is current as of February 7, 2017.

Vendors were contacted during the comparative review, and 6 of the vendors actively provided feedback and additional insight in their packages. As such, I'd like to extend my gratitude to Jeff (Birder's Diary), Justin (Bird Journal), Bjorn (iGoTerra), Hisko (Observation.org), Adam (Scythebill), and Steve (Swift) for their time and feedback. Several of the vendors indicated that they are updating their programs. Therefore, it is expected that taxonomic lists, speed of data entry, and reports/analysis functions will change in the upcoming months.

All attempts have been made to be fair and un-biased in this review. If you have questions or comments, please visit The Test Garden and leave a message.

Table1. Summary of bird listing software packages undergoing a detailed review

Comparative Review Summary

eBird provides a solid baseline to compare other listing packages and web-based applications to. Because eBird has such a large user base, it is easier for many birders to understand how other listing software packages compare. The comparative reviewed focused on 1) Integration with eBird; 2) Taxonomic list support: 3) Data entry; 4) Reporting; 5) Mobile version; and 6) Noteworthy features.

In the category of taxonomic lists supports Bird Journal, Birder’s Diary, iGoTerra, and Scythebill all provide more options compared to eBird. Read more

In terms of data exchange with eBird, meaning the ability to import and export eBird files, Birder’s Diary, iGoTerra, Scythebill and Swift perform best. Read more

eBird has set a high standard when it comes to ease of data entry and speed. Data entry is considered very easy using Bird Journal, Birder’s Dairy, eBird, and Scythebill. When it comes to data entry speed both Birder’s Diary and Scythebill allow for faster data entry compared to eBird. Read More

When it comes to reporting, charts and maps, the reviewed listing packages offer a wide variety of options. Life lists are supported better in Bird Journal, Birder’s Diary, iGoTerra, Scythebill and Swift compared to eBird. When it comes to charts Bird Journal and Swift offer more options, but eBird is best in species distribution mapping. Dedicated trip reports are provided in Birder’s Diary and iGoTerra only. For those with in interest in Big Year/Month/Days reports, Birder’s Diary, iGoTerra and Swift provide the best options. Photo galleries are best supported in Bird Journal and Swift. Read More

On the mobile platform, Bird Journal, eBird, iGoTerra and Observation.org perform overall equally well. Each package has its own strengths and weaknesses. Observations.org is the only application that provides support for Windows. Read More

Several listing packages either perform better, offer more features, or focus more on the individual birder compared to eBird. Most of the reviewed bird listing software packages offer good to excellent interface options with eBird. So, you can handle all your data locally and still contribute to citizen science in a heartbeat.

Table 2. Summary of bird listing software packages undergoing a less detailed review