New BirdPro app is a hoot

You’re in the Kruger and you see a black bird with a red beak, but it flies by so fast that you can’t be sure of what you saw… This new app is designed for that kind of situation, and it’s come out trumps at the 2020 MTN App of the Year Awards.

Many of us probably already use a birding app of some description, but BirdPro (by Herman van den Berg) has a unique “identification by the process of elimination” feature. In other words, it’s super user-friendly – ideal for new birding enthusiasts and old hands alike.

How does it work? After downloading the app, you gain access to more than 6 500 images of South African birds, as well as 1 700 bird calls. The smart identification tool uses location, shape, habitat, size, colour and call to give you the best possible chance of identifying the bird you’ve seen. As you select a category in each section, the list of possible species gets shorter. Once you’ve worked through all the categories, a list of results ranked in order of probability is displayed.

Another cool feature of the app is the population distribution map, which includes a filter to show how populations change during seasonal migration. You can also pin your sightings and include notes and photos under the pin to remember where you saw a particular bird.

And to top it all off, the app is available in 16 languages – including all 11 of South Africa’s official languages! GET THE APP. BirdPro is available for Apple and Android. The Birds of Kruger National Park package costs R250; complete South African Birds package R450. Once you’ve paid, all future updates are free. birdproapp.com