The Evolution of Birdwatching: How Smartphones Changed Everything

Reed Cormorant photographed by Adam Cruickshank

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In yesterday's Daily Birder, I shared some of my own challenges with technology and birding. With the constant barrage of messages flooding my phone, there are times I just want to escape and disconnect. But at the same time, we cannot deny the incredible impact that technology and birding apps have had on our hobby. They have made it easier than ever for birders to connect with birds, and through the data they collect, have contributed to the conservation of many species. I often wonder if some of the apparent range expansions we are seeing in certain species are not simply a result of more data being submitted.

It is fascinating to think about how much easier it has become to share information.

A few years ago, I was sitting at a table with a well-known, elderly ornithologist. He told a story about a nightjar he had found many years ago that he needed help identifying. The expert he wanted to contact was based in Zimbabwe, and the easiest way to get information back then was by post. He sent a letter and waited a month for a reply. Then he sent another letter and waited again. The process was incredibly slow.

Before Trevor Hardaker’s rare bird email alerts, people used landline phones to spread the word about special sightings. One person would call a few others, and they would each pass on the news. That might sound fairly simple, but remember that mobile phones were not widely used. Often the news would only reach someone when they got home. I can only imagine how many birders missed something special because the news reached them too late.

Then emails came into the picture. But emails were not always as easy to access as they are now. Before fibre and ADSL, we had dial-up internet. If you remember that screeching dial-up tone, you probably just winced. You had to get back to your computer to send or receive emails. It was faster than the post, but still not very convenient.

Then smartphones changed everything. Now we can carry bird books in our pockets as apps. We can keep bird lists using BirdLasser, eBird, and Bindo. And most importantly, we have WhatsApp. This single app has probably done more to make birding accessible than anything else in recent years. Instead of waiting days for a location pin, we get it seconds after a sighting. Instead of playing telephone tag, we are instantly notified in our birding groups. And with the help of Facebook and other social platforms, birding information spreads quicker than ever before.

Birding is now more accessible than it has ever been. And just when I think this is as good as it gets, I find myself wondering what new apps and tools will be developed next to help even more people get into birding.

What do you think has been the most exciting development in birding technology in recent years?