There is a dizzying array of Apps available now for identifying a range of wildlife, from plants and trees to mammals and bird songs. Which one should you go for, and what is so good about these apps? Note that these apps are an AID and you should still consult with reputable ID guides. Use these apps to speed up identification, but don’t fully rely on them; they can be inaccurate sometimes, so be sure to have backup ID books on hand.

We enlisted the help of 100 of our Certificate Students to give us their favourite identification Apps. Here’s the list of all the apps that they are using and their appraisal of them. Read to the end, and we will reveal the top 4!

General ID:

iNaturalist – a wide database, less intuitive than Plantnet but covers a wider range of species, including flowering plants, trees, animals, insects, birds and fungi. Good for trees as it has subcategories for budding/fruiting/flowering and pretty extensive galleries. It has a pinpoint map, which is nice to browse to see which species have been around your area – select a map region, and it will give you a list of species found there.

Seek – good for flowering plants, trees, animals, insects and fungi. If it is not sure it will show the potential family to help you narrow it down. It cross-references iRecord observations in the area giving you the most likely result. The camera function doesn’t always pick up the image. Some of the names are American names though – check with an ID guide. Also used for animal ID – it will tell you the family or genus if it can’t ID to species. Good all rounder.

Google Lens – you have to use your common sense sometimes, uses image search and usually accurate, and covers everything.

Plants and Trees:

PlantNet – not always accurate, but will give you a starting point to check further. Also shows you pictures of the plant and gives you alternatives. Intuitive, easy to use and accurate. Gives you the % confidence.

Tree ID – asks you to identify features and narrows down the possibilities for you. Covers British trees with full details of the trees and identifying features.

British trees – need to enter data such as size , shape etc.

Picture This – easy to use, good for getting you in the right direction to check further with an ID book. Seems to handle more complex IDs better than Seek and iNaturalist. Has an annoying pop-up asking you to subscribe.

iNaturalist – see above in General.

Seek – see above in General

Mammals:

Mammal mapper – The Mammal Society – not sure about this one; no one has used it, just heard about it. Looks like you can do mammal surveys of specific areas, one-off sightings and submit records. Covers land and aquatic mammals.

Fungi:

iNaturalist – not perfect as there are many parameters to consider, including smell, microscopy and reagent tests.

Shroomify – dichotomous key and has lists of common fungi by month. Always use a guidebook too.

TMA Fungi – You can identify them by tree species and their location on the tree (e.g., roots, trunk, or canopy), and it will give you photos for comparison and a full report on how damaging they are to the tree. Highly recommended, especially for assessing fungal diseases in trees.

Birds:

Merlin – you can record bird song live, and it will tell you which species is singing and compile a list; there is also lots of information on each species. Sometimes suggests incorrect species and sometimes has difficulty picking up sounds which are clearly audible. Can use it around the world – couldn’t get it to work in Africa though. Recommend you download the country pack before you go.

Birdnet – good for bird song, not always accurate – check a bird guide.

BirdUp – for birdsong ID. A ‘bit hit and miss’, not good in wind and other noise.

eBird – for uploading bird records.

BirdTrack – submits bird records directly to eBird, and you can mark the birds as sensitive, such as birds of prey.

Insects:

Big Butterfly Count – good for commoner ones in the field – UK.

Bumblebee Conservation – good for common bumblebees. You can send pictures to BCT for confirmation if it is unusual. UK

Leafmines.co.uk – an online key. Starts with the food plant, then looks at the section of the leaf mined, the shape of the mine, and how the frass is deposited.

Leps – good for moths and butterflies in the UK and around the world. 175,000 species covered.

Seek – see above in General

iNaturalist – see above in General.

Just a reminder that the apps should not be relied on 100%; some students found them addictive and became reliant on them. Use with caution, and make sure to check the ID against other sources, such as reputable field ID guides.

The final results are in! The top nature apps voted for by our Certificate students are:

• iNaturalist
• Seek
• PlantNet
• Merlin

There you have it! You can now make your own informed choices! Enjoy!