Badges to earn
From First Catch to Master Birder, Early Bird to Epic Sighting, and plenty more.
First Catch
Getting Started
Master Birder
Early Bird
Epic Sighting
Bird Watcher
Free Android game · Now in beta
Every bird you spot becomes a card.
Photograph real birds outside. BirdChase names the species, you catch it with a quick candy toss, and it joins your collection as a trading card.
Coming soon to Google Play iPhone: later
- 504 North American birds
- 5 rarity tiers
- Free, no ads
Card photos © Don Wellmann (CC0), Matt Felperin and Cricket Raspet (CC BY). Credits
How it works
Snap it. Catch it. Keep it.
Head outside, find a bird, and turn the moment into a card in four quick steps.
-
Snap
Frame the bird in the viewfinder and take the shot. Most photos are identified right on your phone, even with no signal.
-
Catch
Toss candy to the bird in a quick catching game. You get a few seconds per candy, and some throws miss, so aim well.
-
Reveal
A sunrise build-up drops clues: family, size, habitat, range. The screen glows in the bird's rarity color, you tap, and it bursts in, followed by its card and a fun fact.
-
Collect
The bird joins your Collection as a card. Your own photo is saved to your private album.
Tricky photo? With Deep analysis, an option in Settings, the app can take a closer look with a cloud AI check. You can always pick the bird yourself from the suggestions, too.
The collection
504 birds. Every one is a card.
Each species gets its own trading card: photo, name, scientific name, size, rarity, a short About, plus its family, order and conservation status. Rarity is how hard a bird is to find in the wild.
- Common 128 birds
- Uncommon 202 birds
- Rare 154 birds
- Epic 15 birds
- Legendary 5 birds
Just 5 of the 504 are Legendary. Good luck.
-
Snowy OwlPhoto © Matt Felperin, CC BY -
Whooping CranePhoto © Cody Delano, CC BY -
Tufted PuffinPhoto © Cricket Raspet, CC BY -
Vermilion FlycatcherPhoto © Jared Shorma, CC BY -
Harlequin DuckPhoto © Kevin Krebs, CC BY -
Painted RedstartPhoto © Don Wellmann, CC0 -
Eastern BluebirdPhoto © jeffcherry, CC0 -
Cedar WaxwingPhoto © Allan Harris, CC0 -
Western TanagerPhoto © jubileej, CC0 -
Anna's HummingbirdPhoto © Marcel_Pepin, CC BY -
Red-winged BlackbirdPhoto © Michael, CC BY -
Steller's JayPhoto © Cricket Raspet, CC BY
-
Hear the real call
More than 400 of the cards play a real recording of the bird's call, right from the card.
-
Pick it up and spin it
On a bird's page you can pick its card up and turn it over to see the back.
-
See what's still out there
The Collection shows all 504 cards, with the birds you haven't caught grayed out. Sort by rarity or A to Z, search, and switch between card and photo view.
Mastery
Master every bird
Catch the same species again to level up its card frame: Bronze, then Silver, then Gold, then Rainbow.
-
Caught
-
Bronze
-
Silver
-
Gold
-
Rainbow
-
Rarer birds climb faster. A Legendary reaches Rainbow in 6 counted catches. A Common takes 35.
-
Once an hour, per bird. Catches count toward mastery at most once an hour, so it rewards birding over time, not spamming one bird.
Steller's Jay photo © Cricket Raspet, CC BY
Birds near you
Know what's out there
With location on, BirdChase shows which birds live where you are, and in which seasons.
-
Range maps
Every species has a range map with its seasons, built from eBird data.
-
How to find it
A guide for every bird: where and when to look.
-
Daily bird
Each day the app picks a bird that actually lives near you. Your first catch of it that day earns bonus points and candy.
-
Catch map
A map of where you caught each bird. Only you can see it.
Range maps cover the United States.
Progress
Keep the streak alive
Every catch earns points, and rarer and new birds earn more. Streaks, quests, badges and candy make every walk count.
Daily streaks and quests
Keep your streak's flame burning day after day, and take on quests as you go.
- Daily login rewards
- Unlockable avatars
Candy
Candy is what you toss to catch birds. Collect it from daily login rewards and the daily bird, or trade points for candy in the shop.
Sightings bag
Your photos, packed and ready
Your Profile has a backpack full of your bird photos, and it bursts open into an album.
Share
Show off your finds
Every share is a picture made for sharing. Send it on WhatsApp, Messages, Instagram and more.
Fair play + privacy
Real birds. Private photos.
BirdChase is built for birding outside, and for keeping what you share up to you.
-
ID on your phone
Most identification happens right on your phone. When the cloud check runs, only the photo is sent: no name, email or location.
-
Real birds only
A built-in check spots photos of a screen or a printed picture. Those catches are still logged, but don't earn photo rewards or count toward mastery.
-
Private photos
No other player can see your photos unless you share one yourself.
-
No ads, no tracking
No ads, no tracking, no analytics, and we don't sell your data.
-
Delete anytime
Delete Account in Settings removes your account, catches and photos for good.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is BirdChase free?
Yes. BirdChase is free to play, with no ads and no subscription.
Can I get it on iPhone?
Not yet. BirdChase is on Android first, in beta now and coming to Google Play. iPhone comes later. Pick iPhone on the sign-up form and we'll let you know when BirdChase launches.
How do I join the beta?
Use the sign-up form with the email address of the Google account on your Android phone, and we'll send you an invite. You can also email support@birdchase.app.
Which birds are in the game?
504 bird species of North America, across five rarity tiers from Common to Legendary. The range maps cover the United States.
Does it work without a signal?
Most photos are identified right on your phone by a built-in AI model, even with no signal. For tricky photos, the app can take a closer look with a cloud AI check (Deep analysis, an option in Settings), and you can always pick the bird yourself from the suggestions.
Who can see my photos?
Your photos are private. They're saved to your private album, and no other player can see them unless you share one yourself. When the cloud AI check runs, only the photo is sent to Google's Gemini service to identify the bird: no name, email or location. The Privacy Policy has the details.
Can I catch a bird from a photo on a screen?
A built-in check spots photos taken of a screen or a printed picture. Those catches are still logged, but they don't earn photo rewards or count toward mastery. The game is about real birds outside.
How does mastery work?
Catch the same species again to level up its card frame: Bronze, Silver, Gold, then Rainbow. Catches count toward mastery at most once an hour per species, and rarer birds need fewer catches: a Legendary reaches Rainbow in 6 counted catches, a Common in 35.
What is candy for?
Candy is the game's currency. You toss it to catch birds. You get candy from daily login rewards and from catching the daily bird, and you can trade points for candy in the candy shop.
How do I delete my account?
In the app, go to Settings and tap Delete Account. It removes your account, catches and photos for good. No app? Email support@birdchase.app from the address on your account with the subject "Delete my account" and we'll delete it within 30 days. More on deleting your account.
Still curious? Visit Support or email support@birdchase.app.
Join the Android beta
BirdChase is in beta testing now and coming to Google Play. Sign up and we'll invite you to try it first.
Rather write? Email support@birdchase.app.
You're on the list!
We'll email you an invite to the Android beta. Keep your eyes on the trees until then.
Get your invite
Email support@birdchase.app with the Google account email you use on your Android phone, and we'll invite you to the beta.