Every bird you see, recorded — even the ones you can't name
eBird is a free platform for recording the birds you see, identifying the ones you can't, and exploring what others are finding — all feeding into a global effort for bird science and conservation. This page introduces what it does; the real thing lives at eBird.org.
Track your bird-watching lists
eBird lets you record every bird you see, including when and where you spotted it. Log a sighting and it's automatically added to your personal life list — no spreadsheets, no separate notebook. It's free to use, simple enough for any spot you happen to be birding, powerful enough to track a lifetime of birding.
Identify what you see: Merlin
Not sure what you're looking at? Merlin is the companion app built by the same team at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Snap a photo, play a recording, or just answer a few quick questions about size, colour and behaviour — Merlin narrows it down for you. Its Sound ID feature alone covers hundreds of North American species, and it's actively growing: in August 2026, birders in Kenya used Merlin to make the first-ever sound recordings of the Red Weaver. Once you know what you saw, eBird is where you log it.
Explore latest sightings
See what's being seen, right now. Dynamic species range maps update live with every checklist submitted worldwide. Explore hotspots — the best local birding spots, with up-to-the-minute records of what's been seen there. Or browse any county, state or country for recent sightings, all-time highs, and an illustrated checklist built from eBirders' best photos and recordings.
Join a global community
More than record-keeping — every sighting joins a shared map of bird ranges. Follow friends' sightings and meet other birders through eBird profiles, part of the world's largest birding community. Share your photos and sounds and they become part of the Macaulay Library, the world's leading archive of natural history media. Every sighting also feeds conservation science that protects the birds we care about.