Old World flycatchers, belonging to the family Muscicapidae, are small birds predominantly found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with a few species reaching North America. Initially classified by Scottish naturalist John Fleming in 1822, the family's Latin name encapsulates their insect-catching habits, and today includes 352 species across 51 genera. Their appearance is diverse, often presenting in brown or brightly colored plumage, and they have evolved wide, flat bills ideal for aerial insect hunting, though some also forage on the ground. They inhabit a range of woodland and forest environments, with many migrating to warmer areas during winter. Their nesting habits vary from well-constructed cups to simple linings in tree holes, and their clutch sizes differ with an average of eight eggs for hole-nesters. Over time, taxonomic revisions, often influenced by molecular studies, have both expanded and refined the family's composition, with some genera being reclassified or reshuffled, reflecting the dynamic nature of avian taxonomy.
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Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
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Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
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What Our Birders Say
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
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