Saturday, August 23, 2025

Search

What’s That Bird (or Plant, or Bug)? There’s an App for That.

Shutterstock
New technologies make it easier than ever to distinguish birds – their calls, their plumage – from one another. Never again get your Purple Martins, pictured, confused for a rarer species!

By Tom Reed, Migration Count Coordinator at the Cape May Bird Observatory

Cape May Naturally is the NJ Audubon’s column about birding and nature. It is written for the Herald and Do the Shore by a rotating cast of experts.

Technology and nature are certainly not two areas that we often place side by side, but as with all other sectors in society, advancements in communication, connectivity, and, yes, artificial intelligence, have combined to enhance our experience in the outdoors – if we so choose. Whether you’re trying to identify the noisy bird that wakes you up each morning or want to learn more about the butterflies in your garden, or even feel inspired to contribute data to community science projects, odds are good that there’s an app for that.

New Jersey Audubon

Founded in 1897, the New Jersey Audubon is one of the oldest independent Audubon societies in the nation. Visit them at njaudubon.org

View more by this author.

Something on your mind? Spout about it!

Spout submissions are anonymous!

600 characters remaining

Most Read

Print Editions

Recommended Articles