birdie

About birdie

birdie is built for birders. Each day there is one bird species to identify, the same for every player. The first clue is a small crop of a photograph, perhaps just a wing bar or an eye ring, and a short snippet of the bird's song. If your guess is wrong, the next photo shows more of the bird, and you get up to six images to work it out.

The species are North American birds, and the photos are cropped by hand, so the early clues reward field marks rather than overall shape. Players can also create their own games for others by uploading up to six cropped photos of a North American bird. A scorecard tracks your average number of guesses and your current streak, and a large archive holds past days to play.

It suits birdwatchers who know their field guide, and players who want to sharpen their identification skills one species a day.

How to play birdie

1. Look at the first cropped photo and listen to the song snippet.
2. Type the bird species you think it is and pick it from the list.
3. If you are wrong, look at the next, wider photo.
4. Use field marks, colours and the song to narrow it down.
5. Identify the bird in as few guesses as you can, then check your scorecard.

Tips

• Look for field marks in the first crop: wing bars, eye rings, bill shape.
• Use the song snippet early; many similar-looking birds sound very different.
• Play archive days to learn the species that come up.

Questions