The First Birding App for Costa Rica is now Available

There seems to be an an app for just about everything in these digital times including an addictive game where seriously upset birds are launched through the air at nefarious pigs. However, there was no app that focused on birding in Costa Rica. Well, none until January 22nd when the first birding app for Costa Rica was released.

Yes, it’s at the iTunes store and although we realized a moment too late that the image of Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher was missing (maybe it migrated south with the actual, feathered ones), there should be a quick fix for that in a jiffy. It would happen sooner but our programmer is sailing to Patagonia (yeah, talk about the mother of all pelagic trips!) so is not available on a 24/7 basis at this moment.

A quick rundown of some of the app’s features:

• 400 plus species, including most of the more common birds and quite a few uncommon species (Peg-billed Finch, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, and Ornate Hawk Eagle).

Peg-billed Finch- an uncommon, regional endemic.

• Multiple images of many species.
• Vocalizations for more than 200 species. No, we don’t have all of them but the birds we do have are many of the common sounds heard while birding in Costa Rica. We thought those were more important for this first version that finding sounds for birds like Great Egret, Anhinga, and Blue-winged Teal.

Check out the bright colors of a male Flame-colored Tanager while listening to its burry song.

• Range maps for each species.
• Text that gives diagnostic field marks, habitat, and more.
• A search filter to help find those unknown birds seen while birding Carara National Park, Sarapiqui, or the high mountains.

Figure out the identification of that funky-looking owl.

• An area to note your sightings and email them to yourself.

In case you were wondering if the app was suitable for basic or advanced birding in Costa Rica, the answer is “yes” and “yes”. Whether you are new to birding, just curious about what you might see in Costa Rica, or simply want to know about the birds that visit feeders in hotel gardens, this Costa Rica birding app will be very useful. Practiced birders new to Costa Rica should get plenty of use out of it while planning their trip and out in the field.  Even advanced birders who have birded Quebrada Gonzalez on a dozen occasions should also find this app to be a useful birding accessory.

At the moment, it’s only available for version 4.3 or above iPod Touch, iPhones, and iPads but we hope to also eventually make it available for other devices.

I’m already using the Costa Rica Bird Field Guide app when I go birding in Costa Rica, I hope you do too!