NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD: Where to Watch Birds in Scotland, SOC's free mobile app
To download the app now simply click on either button below:
Nearly three years in the making, we're delighted to announce the launch ofWhere to Watch Birds in Scotland , the Club's free mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
For the first time ever, you can now download an app to discover the best places to birdwatch around Scotland and the bird species likely to be found at these sites. Some will be well known locations, others may be less familiar.
This unique resource (no digital or up-to-date printed resource like this currently exists) will bring Scotland’s birds to a new generation of birdwatchers and appeal to beginners and seasoned birders, as well as general nature and wildlife watchers.
The app has launched with details of nearly 400 of Scotland's top birdwatching spots, but new sites will continue to be added and existing ones updated as far as possible.
About the app
The guide display the following information about each birdwatching site, including:
- directions to the site by public transport or car
- the best season to visit
- how to navigate the site
- what birds to look out for on a seasonal basis
- recent sightings in the area as uploaded to BirdTrack
- rare/unusual species previously recorded at the site
- how to submit bird sightings to the Local Bird Recorder and/or to BirdTrack
- other notable wildlife spectacles to look out for
The app will help birdwatchers visiting Scotland from across the UK and overseas, drawn to these shores by the country’s internationally- important seabird colonies, wader and wildfowl populations as well as its iconic and exciting upland species. The app’s built-in search facility will tell users where particular bird species are likely to be seen as well as allowing them to tap into detailed species information from the SOC’s award-winning publication, The Birds of Scotland.
Generating valuable conservation data
In line with the charity’s recording objectives, users are encouraged to help bird conservation by submitting their sightings via a direct link to the Local Bird Recorder and BirdTrack.
A network of volunteers
The development of the app is also a wonderful demonstration of what volunteers working together can achieve. The project is the result of three years of in-depth research and meticulous planning by a small working group comprising Jane Allison, Martin Cook and Alan Knox, assisted by network of nearly 140 local co-ordinators and contributors around the country. A list of contributors can be viewed here.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the British Trust for Ornithology for help with links to BirdTrack, Keith Naylor for updated statistics on rare birds, and the editors of The Birds of Scotland (2007) for permission to use population data and distribution maps extracted from this landmark publication. Technical advice was provided by Robin Knox, Paul Walton and their colleagues at Intelligent Point of Sale in Edinburgh, subsequently Boundary Technologies.
Development of the app began with a conversation between Alan Knox, the late Ray Murray and Jane Cleaver (now Allison) at an SOC Council meeting in 2016. Sadly, Ray died later that year. However, we think Ray would be proud to see the project completed with many of his ideas and suggestions realised in the finished app.
A number of authors permitted the use of their material in the app or helped with other information. Thanks are due to:
- Ian Andrews and Stephen Hunter, Online Scottish Bird Report
- Julian Branscombe and RSPB Scotland, Discover Orkney Wildlife app
- Jim Cassels, Arran Birding website
- Raymond Duncan, Grampian Ringing Group
- Ian Francis and Mark Sullivan, Birding Guide to North-East Scotland, including part of the Cairngorm National Park
- Bob McMillan, www.skye-birds.com website
- Phone screen image on this page copyright Steve Cox
Supported by
The app’s development was generously financed by the SOC’s Birds of Scotland Fund – supporting ornithological publications and special projects in Scotland – as well as legacies to the Club from members and a donation from Glasgow Natural History Society. 
Support our work
In line with the Club's constitutional aims, the SOC developed this app to encourage and enable more people, from across the world, to study, enjoy and promote the conservation of Scotland's wild birds. Such investment would not be possible without the support of our members and the wider birdwatching community. Donate now.
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