EBird
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
EBird firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EBird
- Legal name
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Website
- https://ebird.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where EBird is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
EBird business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: eBird is supported entirely by grants, sponsors, and donations. It is a nonprofit initiative managed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. No revenue is generated directly from user subscriptions or data access.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Platform Access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
EBird product offering
Product offeringCore offering
eBird is a free, real-time, online citizen science platform operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that enables the worldwide birding community to submit, share, and access standardized bird observation data. Users record birding checklists via web and mobile apps (iOS/Android, 27 languages), explore real-time species distribution maps, find birding hotspots, track personal lists, and access AI-powered bird identification through Merlin Bird ID. The platform aggregates crowdsourced data into the world's largest biodiversity-related science dataset, supporting research, conservation, and education.
Product overview
EBird is a free citizen science platform and online database operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The core product is the eBird platform (website and mobile app) where birders submit checklists documenting bird sightings. Key sub-products include Merlin Bird ID (AI-powered bird identification app), regional portals (localized versions managed by partners), Bird Academy (educational courses), Macaulay Library (scientific media archive), and eBird Status and Trends (abundance analytics). The platform supports over 100 million bird sightings annually from 1.35 million eBirders worldwide, with 10,984 species documented across 130 million checklists. Regional portals provide localized experiences for specific countries and regions. Bird atlases enable collaborative documentation of breeding bird distributions. Additional features include species maps, hotspot exploration, personal list tracking (My eBird), rare bird alerts, target species recommendations, and competitive leaderboards (Top 100). The platform integrates with Merlin Bird ID for AI identification and Macaulay Library for media archival.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- eBird Free global online birding database and citizen science platform where birders submit checklists, explore species maps and hotspots, track personal lists, and contribute to bird conservation science. Operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and accessible worldwide via web and mobile.
- eBird Mobile Free mobile app for iOS and Android enabling offline bird sighting data entry, personal list management, and statistics in the field. Available in 27 languages on iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
- Merlin Bird ID Free AI-powered bird identification app that uses photos, audio recordings, and location data to identify bird species. Powered by computer vision and audio processing models trained on eBird sightings and media.
- Macaulay Library World's premier scientific archive of natural history audio, video, and photographs. Archives bird media from eBird checklists and provides media for bird identification and scientific research.
- eBird Regional Portals Localized versions of eBird managed by 50+ regional partner organizations providing regional birding expertise and data for specific countries and regions (e.g., eBird India, eBird Australia, eBird Caribbean, eBird Costa Rica).
- eBird Status and Trends Interactive abundance maps and population trend data for bird species worldwide, derived from eBird checklist data. Includes weekly bar charts and seasonal patterns.
- Bird Academy Educational platform partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offering birding courses including eBird Essentials, bird painting, gardening for birds, and nests and eggs courses.
- Bird Atlases Collaborative atlas projects documenting bird distribution and breeding patterns across regions. Active atlases include California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Taiwan Bird Atlases.
Quantifiable outcome
- On 9 May 2026, Global Big Day set a world record with 8,000+ bird species documented in a single day by the eBirding community.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use EBird
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
EBird technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
EBird partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.
- Cornell Lab of OrnithologycoreeBird is a project of and managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a nonprofit membership institution that interprets and conserves the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. The Lab provides institutional infrastructure, scientific expertise, and staffing.
- National Audubon SocietycoreNational Audubon Society is a founding partner of eBird, dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Audubon centers, science programs, and advocacy engage millions in conservation.
- Macaulay LibrarycorePhotos, audio recordings, and videos added to eBird checklists are archived in the Macaulay Library—one of the world's most valuable repositories of wildlife media for scientific research. Deep data integration connects eBird sightings with associated media.
- ZEISS Sports OpticsmajorZEISS is the official optics sponsor for eBird and sponsors the eBirder of the Month challenges. ZEISS provides prizes (binoculars) for challenge winners and supports eBird's mission financially. Richard Moncrief, Birding and Nature Observation Segment Manager at ZEISS, has publicly praised the partnership.
- BirdLife InternationalmajorBirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity. eBird data supports BirdLife's conservation work worldwide.
- Wetlands InternationalmajorWetlands International globally coordinates the Asian Waterbird Census, which uses eBird for data collection and management. This partnership enables systematic waterbird monitoring across Asia.
- Bird Count IndiaregionalBird Count India collaborates with eBird for nationwide bird monitoring initiatives in India, organizing events like the Great Backyard Bird Count. Their mission is to document bird distribution and abundance across India.
- Birds CanadaregionalNonprofit charitable organization built on contributions of thousands of caring members and volunteer Citizen Scientists. Their mission is to conserve wild birds through sound science, on-the-ground actions, and public engagement.
- BirdsCaribbeanregionalLargest single bird conservation organization in the Greater Caribbean region. Manages eBird Caribbean regional portal. Works to conserve Caribbean birds through research, education, and capacity building.
- eBird Regional Portals (50+ organizations)regional50+ regional teams managed by local partners provide regionalized versions of eBird with local information, birding expertise, and outreach. Includes portals for USA states, Canada provinces, European countries, Asian nations, and more.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EBird competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iNaturalist: iNaturalist is a citizen science platform where users record and share observations of any species (plants, animals, fungi). It is the closest direct peer to eBird in terms of crowdsourced biodiversity data, mobile-first submission, and integration with AI identification, though it covers all taxa rather than specializing in birds.
Emerging players
- Zooniverse: Zooniverse is the largest online platform for volunteer-led citizen science research, hosting hundreds of projects across astronomy, ecology, and biology. It overlaps with eBird in the citizen science model and academic research user base, but focuses on structured project tasks rather than open biodiversity checklists.
- Pl@ntNet: Pl@ntNet is a citizen science platform focused on plant identification using AI-powered photo recognition. It mirrors eBird's Merlin Bird ID approach (AI identification from user-uploaded images) but targets the plant kingdom, making it a strong adjacent emerging player in crowdsourced biodiversity AI.
- BirdsEye (by Birds in the Hand, LLC): BirdsEye is a birding mobile app that aggregates sightings (historically including eBird data) to help birders find target species nearby. It competes with eBird Mobile for field-use utility and represents an emerging player in the birding-app category.
- Sibley Guides (David Sibley): Sibley Guides publishes authoritative bird identification field guides and a dedicated mobile app. It competes with Merlin Bird ID and eBird-affiliated All About Birds for birder identification and educational content.
- Journey North: Journey North is a citizen science platform tracking wildlife migration and seasonal change, including robins, monarchs, and hummingbirds. It overlaps with eBird in volunteer-driven biodiversity observation but focuses on migration phenology rather than comprehensive species checklists.
- Project Noah: Project Noah was a citizen science platform for documenting urban wildlife through user-submitted photos and observations. It is comparable to eBird in crowdsourced species documentation but covers broader taxa with a more photo-driven, social-network design.
Broad incumbents
- National Audubon Society: The National Audubon Society is a broad incumbent in bird conservation, education, and citizen engagement, and a founding partner of eBird itself. Audubon operates the Christmas Bird Count, owns extensive birding content and apps, and overlaps with eBird in conservation data and birder community.
- BirdLife International: BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organizations and the authoritative source for IUCN Red List bird assessments. It is a strategic partner of eBird and represents the institutional conservation incumbent whose work increasingly depends on eBird's data.
Others
- Great Backyard Bird Count (Cornell Lab / Audubon): The Great Backyard Bird Count is a flagship annual citizen science event co-organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. It runs on the eBird platform and represents an ecosystem initiative rather than an independent competitor, illustrating how eBird is embedded in the broader birding infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EBird social profiles
Digital presenceEBird financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EBird leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
EBird funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EBird M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EBird
What does EBird do?
eBird is a free, real-time, online citizen science platform operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that enables the worldwide birding community to submit, share, and access standardized bird observation data. Users record birding checklists via web and mobile apps (iOS/Android, 27 languages), explore real-time species distribution maps, find birding hotspots, track personal lists, and access AI-powered bird identification through Merlin Bird ID. The platform aggregates crowdsourced data into the world's largest biodiversity-related science dataset, supporting research, conservation, and education.
Is EBird a public or private company?
EBird is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was EBird founded?
EBird was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is EBird based?
EBird is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does EBird make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are EBird's main competitors?
iNaturalist is listed as a direct peer. Emerging players are Zooniverse, Pl@ntNet, BirdsEye (by Birds in the Hand, LLC), Sibley Guides (David Sibley), Journey North and Project Noah. Broad incumbents are National Audubon Society and BirdLife International. Great Backyard Bird Count (Cornell Lab / Audubon) is listed as an others.
Does EBird have an API?
No public API is recorded for EBird.