Alkas vs. eBird
eBird tracks where birds are. Alkas teaches you to recognize them. They're complementary tools for different parts of the birding experience.
The short version
eBird is the world's largest citizen science platform for birds. Over 900 million observations from birders worldwide. It's where you log your sightings, explore hotspots, check what's been reported nearby, and contribute to real scientific research. If you're a birder, you probably already use it.
But eBird assumes you already know what you're looking at. It's a logging tool, not a learning tool. You can see that 23 species of warbler have been reported at a hotspot - but eBird won't teach you to tell them apart.
Alkas fills that gap. It uses spaced repetition to help you memorize the species that eBird shows you're likely to encounter. Import your eBird life list - including any species identified through Merlin - and study the ones you've logged but can't yet identify on your own.
Logging sightings vs. building knowledge
eBird: Track what you see
You go birding, submit a checklist, and your sightings join a global dataset. You can see what other birders have reported at any hotspot, check bar charts for seasonal timing, and maintain detailed life lists.
eBird is about data - when and where species occur. It tells you what you might see at a location. It doesn't help you learn to identify what you see when you get there.
Alkas: Learn what you'll see
You create a deck for a region or park. Alkas shows you species photos and asks you to identify them. Cards you struggle with come back sooner. Cards you know space out over weeks and months.
Instead of scrolling through a species list hoping you'll remember field marks in the moment, you actively practice identification. By the time you arrive at the hotspot, you recognize species instead of guessing.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Alkas | eBird |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Learn to identify species yourself through spaced repetition | Log bird sightings and contribute to citizen science |
| Species covered | 152,000+ species - birds, mammals, insects, plants, fungi, reptiles, and more | Birds only (~10,000 species worldwide) |
| Learning tools | Flashcards, spaced repetition (FSRS), mastery tracking, study streaks | None - logging and data platform |
| Hotspot data | Species lists for hundreds of regions and parks | Global hotspot data with real-time sighting reports |
| Photos | Community-voted photos optimized for identification learning | Macaulay Library media (photos, audio, video) |
| Identification traits | Community-curated traits (appearance, behavior, habitat) attached to species | Links to Birds of the World species accounts |
| Study decks | Custom decks by region, park, taxa, season, or traits | Not available |
| Life list | iNaturalist connection + eBird (includes Merlin) / Audubon CSV import | Comprehensive life list, year lists, county lists, yard lists |
| Trip preparation | Build a deck for any park, study species before you go | Explore hotspots, recent sightings, bar charts for timing |
| Pricing | Free | Free (funded by Cornell Lab) |
Better together
eBird and Alkas solve completely different problems. eBird answers "what species are at this location?" Alkas answers "how do I learn to recognize them?"
The workflow: Check eBird to find a promising hotspot. See that 45 species have been reported recently. Open Alkas, create a deck for that region, and study the species you'll encounter. When you arrive, you recognize warblers by their field marks instead of fumbling through a field guide.
Import your eBird life list into Alkas - every species you've logged, including birds identified through Merlin, becomes study material. Audubon Bird Guide exports work too. It's the bridge between "I've seen it" and "I know it."
Cornell built BirdWise as a separate product specifically for learning bird identification - confirming that eBird will stay focused on logging and data. eBird does have a basic photo quiz, but it's a 20-question multiple-choice tool designed for tagging media, not a study system.
Trip prep: the missing piece
Every birder has the same trip prep ritual: check eBird for target species, scan the hotspot species list, maybe flip through a field guide on the plane. Then you arrive, and everything you "studied" evaporates when you're facing 30 unfamiliar species in real time.
Passive review doesn't build recognition skills. Spaced repetition does. Instead of scrolling eBird's species list and hoping something sticks, build an Alkas deck for your destination and practice identifying species for a few weeks before the trip. The difference is dramatic.
Birders want study tools, not just checklists
"I will often use eBird's quiz as a tool to practice foreign species, but I would love to be able to practice specific groups that I am trying to learn."
"I would like to make my own quizzes... a quiz that includes all gull species in a specific region, at various life stages, or a quiz that tests you on different sparrow songs and pictures from a certain region."
"Is there an app out there that will quiz me on bird ID? Or a game of some kind? I love Merlin and Birda but I would love a bird trivia type activity."
"There are potentially 650 species in the areas we're going to. How do you absorb all this information?"
"I've always made my own online flashcards for when I'm traveling somewhere, and that's a lot of work."
When eBird is better
- - You want to log sightings and contribute to citizen science
- - You want to see what's been reported at a location recently
- - You want detailed bar charts for seasonal bird timing
- - You want to maintain a comprehensive birding life list
When Alkas is better
- + You want to learn to identify the species eBird shows you
- + You want to learn more than just birds
- + You want active study, not passive browsing of species lists
- + You're preparing for a trip and want to practice identification
- + You want to import your eBird, Merlin, or Audubon data and study it
- + You want community-curated identification traits on your flashcards
Learn the birds on your life list
Import your eBird life list - Merlin and Audubon data included - and start studying. Free.
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