Brandwave

Bird identification apps:Which are searched most?

In August 2026, iNaturalist was the most searched among bird identification apps worldwide, with an estimated 246K branded searches and 40.8% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. iNaturalist40.8%
  2. eBird33.4%
  3. Picture Bird12.3%
  4. Merlin Bird ID9%
  5. BirdNET4.5%

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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the apps used to identify birds. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for iNaturalist, eBird, Picture Bird, Merlin Bird ID, BirdNET. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthiNaturalisteBirdPicture BirdMerlin Bird IDBirdNET
Oct 202536.2%36.2%16.3%6.5%4.9%
Nov 202537.7%37.7%13.9%5.6%5.1%
Dec 202533.6%40.9%15%6%4.5%
Jan 202630.1%44.9%13.5%6.6%4.9%
Feb 202632.3%39.3%14.5%8.7%5.3%
Mar 202637%37%11.1%10%5%
Apr 202634.9%34.9%10.5%14%5.7%
May 202630.1%36.8%9%18.1%6%
Jun 202636%29.5%10.8%17.7%5.9%
Jul 202635.2%28.9%15.9%14.2%5.8%
Aug 202640.8%33.4%12.3%9%4.5%
Sep 2026—————

This month’s ranking, August 2026

  1. 1.iNaturalist

    40.8%

    Held 1st. 246K estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share +5.6 points.

  2. 2.eBird

    33.4%

    Held 2nd. 201K estimated branded searches, +21.8% vs prior month. Share +4.5 points.

  3. 3.Picture Bird

    12.3%

    Held 3rd. 74K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -3.6 points.

  4. 4.Merlin Bird ID

    9%

    Held 4th. 54.2K estimated branded searches, -33.1% vs prior month. Share -5.2 points.

  5. 5.BirdNET

    4.5%

    Held 5th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

Compare search popularity between leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among bird identification apps worldwide?

In August 2026, iNaturalist was the most searched among bird identification apps worldwide, with an estimated 246K branded searches and 40.8% estimated Share of Search within this set. eBird is in 2nd place, 7.5 percentage points behind at 33.4% Share of Search.

Global bird identification apps, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
iNaturalist36.2% → 40.8%40.8%Aug 202630.1%May 20262nd → 1st
eBird36.2% → 33.4%44.9%Jan 202628.9%Jul 20261st → 2nd
Picture Bird16.3% → 12.3%16.3%Oct 20259%May 20263rd
Merlin Bird ID6.5% → 9%18.1%May 20265.6%Nov 20254th
BirdNET4.9% → 4.5%6%May 20264.5%Aug 20265th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, iNaturalist’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide increased from 36.2% to 40.8%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, eBird’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide decreased from 36.2% to 33.4%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Picture Bird’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide decreased from 16.3% to 12.3%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Merlin Bird ID’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide increased from 6.5% to 9%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, iNaturalist’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide peaked at 40.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 30.1% in May 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, eBird’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide peaked at 44.9% in January 2026 and was lowest at 28.9% in July 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Picture Bird’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide peaked at 16.3% in October 2025 and was lowest at 9% in May 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Merlin Bird ID’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide peaked at 18.1% in May 2026 and was lowest at 5.6% in November 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, BirdNET’s estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide peaked at 6% in May 2026 and was lowest at 4.5% in August 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, iNaturalist rose from 2nd to 1st among bird identification apps worldwide.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, eBird fell from 1st to 2nd among bird identification apps worldwide.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, BirdNET held steady: its estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

How did search popularity change for bird identification apps worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, iNaturalist gained estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide, from 35.2% to 40.8%.

  2. In August 2026, eBird gained estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide, from 28.9% to 33.4%.

  3. In August 2026, Merlin Bird ID lost estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide, from 14.2% to 9%.

  4. In August 2026, Picture Bird lost estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide, from 15.9% to 12.3%.

  5. In August 2026, BirdNET lost estimated Share of Search among bird identification apps worldwide, from 5.8% to 4.5%.

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