On an early morning run around the campus lagoon, I spotted 18 Snowy Egrets and an abundance of other birds fishing for insects near the beach. I had to wait until I returned home to identify some of the other birds using Google image search. Searching "tall blue bird" and scrolling through hundreds of photos was not the easiest way to identify a Great Blue Heron.
Fortunately, UCSB graduate students have devised a solution with the Birdeez App. This app helps you instantly identify birds by selecting a few options (shape, size, color). Once you identify the bird, you can "spot it," which records the location so you can map out all of the birds you have seen. This app is only populated with birds from California, but the app developers have plans to expand it nationwide.
The app was designed by Jeff Simeon, who pursued his Master's Degree at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Patrick Toerner, a programmer, and Thomas Kuo, a Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department.
The Birdeez app is currently available for free for iOS 5 or later. You can download the app here: Apple App Store.