Help and support

Contact us

Email: support@birdchase.app

In the app: go to your Profile, tap the gear icon to open Settings, then tap Send Feedback. Pick Bug, Idea or Other, and tell us what's on your mind. The app adds its version and your phone's model to help us track down bugs. Every message gets read.

If you're writing about a bug, it helps to tell us what you were doing, what happened, and what you expected to happen.

Getting started

What is BirdChase?

BirdChase is a free game for real-world birdwatching. You photograph real birds outside, the app identifies the species, you catch the bird in a quick candy-toss game, and it joins your collection as a trading card. Every bird you spot becomes a card.

What do I need to play?

An Android phone with a camera, and a free BirdChase account (an email address and a password). BirdChase is in beta testing on Android right now and is coming to Google Play. An iPhone version isn't available yet.

Does it cost anything?

No. BirdChase is free, with no ads and no subscription. There are currently no real-money purchases.

How do I start?

Sign up with your email and a password, then check your email to confirm your account. Once you're in, Wren, our little blue songbird explorer, walks you through a short tutorial, including a practice catch of a crow.

Which birds are in the game?

504 bird species of North America. The range maps cover the United States.

Identifying birds

How does BirdChase know which bird it is?

Point your camera at a bird and take a photo with the bird inside the viewfinder. Most photos are identified right on your phone by an AI model built into the app, even with no signal. For tricky photos, the app can take a closer look with a cloud AI check called Deep analysis. You can also pick the bird yourself from the suggestions.

Any tips for a good photo?

• Get the bird as big in the viewfinder as you can, without getting too close and scaring it.
• Hold your phone steady so the photo is sharp.
• Try to keep the sun behind you, so the bird isn't a dark shape against a bright sky.
• Show as much of the bird as you can. A side view is often easiest to identify.
• Watch out for branches or leaves in front of the bird.

What if it picks the wrong bird?

AI can make mistakes, so check the suggestions before you catch. If the top one isn't right, pick the right bird from the suggestions. If none of them fit, try another photo. If a catch already went in wrong, you can delete it: open the photo in your album or on the bird's page and tap Delete Photo. That removes the photo and that catch's record.

Does it work offline?

Yes. The AI on your phone works with no signal, so you can identify and catch birds anywhere. Deep analysis needs an internet connection. Catches you make offline are saved on your phone and upload on their own once you're back online.

What is Deep analysis?

Deep analysis is a closer look for tricky photos. It's on unless you turn it off. When it's on, you're online, and the AI on your phone isn't sure, the photo is sent to Google's Gemini AI service to identify the bird. You can also ask for this check yourself on any photo by tapping "Not sure? Ask the AI" on the results. Only the photo is sent: never your name, email or location.

To keep identification on your phone only, go to Settings → Photo Analysis and choose Normal. You can also switch it on the catch screen. In Normal mode, the app only shows a guess when it's fairly sure. Otherwise it tells you it couldn't identify the bird, and you can try another photo, pick the bird yourself, or tap "Not sure? Ask the AI".

Can I catch a bird from a photo on a screen or in a book?

The app has a fair-play check that 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. BirdChase is all about real birds outside.

Catching and the game

How does catching work?

After a bird is identified, you toss candy to it in a quick catching game. You get a few seconds for each candy, and some throws miss. Once you've caught it, a reveal plays: a sunrise build-up shows clues about the bird, the screen glows in its rarity's color, and you tap to reveal it. Then you see its card and a fun fact.

What is candy, and how do I get more?

Candy is the game's currency, and it's what you toss to catch birds. You can get more from daily login rewards, by catching the daily bird, and from the candy shop, where you can trade points for candy.

How do points work?

You earn points for every catch. Rarer birds and birds that are new to your collection earn more. You can trade points for candy in the candy shop.

What is mastery, and what's the hourly rule?

Catch the same species again to level up its card frame: Bronze, then Silver, then Gold, then Rainbow. Rarer birds need fewer catches. For example, a Legendary bird reaches Rainbow in 6 counted catches, and a Common bird in 35.

Catches count toward mastery at most once an hour for each species. That way, mastery rewards birding over time instead of photographing the same bird over and over. You can still catch the bird again within the hour; it just won't add to its mastery.

What is the daily bird?

Each day, the app picks a bird that actually lives near you. The first time you catch it that day, you earn bonus points and candy. If your location is off, the daily bird isn't matched to your area.

How do streaks work?

Catch a bird every day to keep your streak going. Your flame shows how many days in a row you've been out birding.

What are badges and quests?

There are 15 badges to earn, like First Catch, Getting Started, Century Club, Master Birder, Rare Find, Epic Sighting, Legendary!, Early Bird, Night Owl and Bird Watcher. Quests give you extra goals to work toward. You can also unlock new avatars.

Your collection and photos

What's in my Collection?

All 504 cards. Birds you haven't caught yet are grayed out, so you can see what's still out there. You can sort by rarity or A to Z, search, and switch between card view and photo view.

What do the rarity tiers mean?

Rarity is about how hard a bird is to find in the wild. There are five tiers: Common (128 birds), Uncommon (202), Rare (154), Epic (15) and Legendary (5).

What's on a card?

A photo, the bird's name and scientific name, its size, a rarity tag, a short "About", and its Family, Order and Conservation status. On a bird's page, you can pick the card up and spin it to see its back. More than 400 cards also have a real recording of the bird's call you can play.

Where are my photos?

Every photo you catch a bird with is saved to your private album. Open the backpack on your Profile and it bursts open into your album. You'll also find your photos on each bird's page.

Who can see my photos?

Only you. No other player can see your photos unless you share one yourself. See our Privacy Policy for more.

How do I share a card or my collection?

You can share any card, a catch right after the reveal, or your whole collection as a picture made for sharing. It works with WhatsApp, Messages, Instagram and more.

How do I delete a photo?

Open the photo in your album or on the bird's page, tap Delete Photo, and confirm. This permanently removes the photo and that catch's record, including where it was made. It can't be undone.

Location

Why does BirdChase ask for my location?

To show which birds live where you are and in which seasons, to pick a daily bird you can actually find, and to place your catches on your catch map. BirdChase only uses your location while you're using the app, never in the background. Only you can see where your catches were made.

What happens if I say no?

You can still snap, identify, catch and collect birds. The app just can't show birds near you or put your catches on your catch map, and the daily bird won't be matched to your area. You can turn location on later, in BirdChase's Settings under Your Area or in your phone's settings.

Why is a catch in the wrong spot on my map?

When the app can't get a fresh GPS reading, for example when you're offline, it uses your phone's last known position instead. The app notes this, so those spots may be a bit off.

Your account

I forgot my password. What do I do?

On the sign-in screen, tap Forgot password? and enter the email you signed up with. The app emails you a code. Type in the code and a new password (at least 6 characters), and you're back in. If the email doesn't show up, check your spam folder and make sure the email address is spelled right.

Can I use my account on another phone?

Yes. Your collection is saved to your account, so just sign in on the new phone and it'll be there.

How do I sign out?

Go to Settings → Account and tap Sign Out.

How do I delete my account?

In the app, go to Settings → Account → Delete Account, then tap Delete Forever. Or email us from your account's email address with the subject "Delete my account". See Delete your BirdChase account for all the details.

The beta

How do I join the beta?

Sign up with the "Join the beta" form on our home page. For the Android beta, use the email address of your Google account, because we invite testers through Google Play. You can also email support@birdchase.app.

Is there an iPhone version?

Not yet. BirdChase is on Android first, and iPhone will come later. You can still sign up and choose iPhone, and we'll let you know when BirdChase launches.

How do I report a bug in the beta?

Use Settings → Send Feedback and choose Bug. Thank you for helping us test!

How do I leave the beta list?

Email support@birdchase.app from the address you signed up with and ask us to remove your sign-up.

Troubleshooting

• The camera won't open. BirdChase needs camera access to photograph birds. On your phone, open Settings → Apps → BirdChase → Permissions, and allow Camera. (The exact names can differ a little from phone to phone.)
• Birds near you or the catch map aren't working. Check that location is allowed for BirdChase in your phone's settings, the same way as the camera. You can also tap Your Area in BirdChase's Settings.
• The app won't identify my bird. Try a closer, sharper photo with the bird inside the viewfinder. If Deep analysis is on, make sure you're online so the app can take a closer look. And remember, BirdChase covers 504 North American species, so a bird from elsewhere may not be in the game.
• My offline catches aren't showing up. Catches made without a signal are saved on your phone and upload on their own when you're back online, or the next time you open the app. Don't uninstall the app before they've uploaded, or they'll be lost.
• Something else is wrong. Send us a note through Settings → Send Feedback, or email support@birdchase.app.