Common questions

Is Bïndo free?

Yes. Core features — sightings, lists, GPS, and the explore map — are free for all users, and will stay free.

We're also building optional premium features and companion web tools. We'll share more as they're ready.

Does it work without internet?

Yes. Bïndo is offline-first. You can log sightings, manage lists, and browse your life list without any signal. Everything syncs automatically when you reconnect.

Which region does Bïndo cover?

The species database spans Southern Africa, covering South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

Do I need to create a list to log a sighting?

No. Sightings are independent. Log a bird at any time and it goes straight into your life list. Lists are optional, for grouping a session or trip.

Why is my feed empty?

The feed shows activity from birders you follow. If you have not followed anyone yet, the feed will be empty. Use the search button in the Feed header to find birders and follow them.

How do I delete my account?

Go to Settings → Account → Delete account. Your sightings and personal data are removed within 30 days.

Can I import my life list from BirdLasser, eBird, or a spreadsheet?

Not through a self-service tool yet, and the team can no longer do manual imports for free — they're slow and fiddly. We're building tools to let you bring across and manage your own data; there's more on the thinking in our journal.

When importing lands, your imported birds will count toward your personal lists and life list, but not group, area, or challenge leaderboards. That keeps competitions fair, and avoids tripping over taxonomy differences between Bïndo, BirdLasser, and eBird.

Can I add birds I saw before using Bïndo?

Yes, one at a time. Long-press a species' ⊕ for a custom sighting and set the date, time, and location by hand — see Logging sightings. For bringing across a whole existing life list in one go, import tools are on the way (above).

How do I see my birds by location instead of by date?

Use Areas. Lists collect by time, but areas sort your sightings by geographical boundary — so you get views like a Gauteng or KZN list automatically. See Areas.

How do I get a birding spot added as an area?

Email support@bindo.app with the location. A KML or KMZ boundary file speeds it up — ask and the team will share a quick how-to. Once it's added, your existing sightings inside the boundary are included automatically. Tools to create your own personal areas (for a garden or patch list) are coming soon.

Can I mark a bird as heard rather than seen?

Not at the moment — a sighting is recorded without a separate heard-only status. If that distinction matters to you, let us know at support@bindo.app.

Can I keep a bird off my life list?

Not currently — every sighting on your account counts toward your life list. There's no way to log a bird you didn't personally see (say, one the rest of a group found) without it counting, so for now the simplest approach is not to log it on your own account.

Can I log a bird I haven't identified yet?

This is coming soon: you'll be able to save an unknown observation and set the species later, once you've had a chance to review your photos.

Can I record extra detail like count, age, or breeding status?

Not yet. Sightings currently capture the species, date, time, location, photos, and the lifer and sensitive flags. Richer fields like count, sex and age, and breeding status are something we're looking at.

Feedback & support

We'd love to hear from you — feature ideas, bugs, or just what you're seeing out there.

Reach us by email at support@bindo.app, or on Instagram at @bindobirding.