Common questions

Is Bïndo free?

Yes. Sightings, lists, GPS and the explore map are free for everyone, and will stay free.

Some optional extras sit alongside the free app. 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, so it stays empty until you follow someone. Use the search button in the Feed header to find birders.

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 from inside the app, and the team can no longer do manual imports for free. They're slow and fiddly. There's more on the thinking in our journal.

Imported birds are meant for your personal lists and life list, and aren't intended to count towards 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 to the app.

Can I mark a bird as heard rather than seen?

Not yet — there's no 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 towards your life list. There's no way to log a bird you didn't personally see, one the rest of your group found, without it counting. For now the simplest thing 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. A sighting captures the species, date, time, location, photos, and the lifer and sensitive flags. Richer fields like count, sex and age, and breeding status are on our list.

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.