Is there a Duolingo style app for not embarrassing yourself outdoors?

Posted by StripedRooster@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 53 comments

I spend a lot of time in the countryside but still can barely tell a swan from a goose.

At this point I’m basically pointing at things like:

“Nice tree”
“Ooh a bird”
“Ah yes, another… tree”

There are loads of apps for identifying stuff (Merlin Bird ID is genuinely brilliant, and no subscription), and it is slowly teaching me, but I’ve realised I now spend half my walks staring at my phone like I’m trying to catch Pokemon.

Would love something more like Duolingo, where I can actually learn over time instead of frantically patting my pockets for my phone every time I spot an interesting bird, then yelling “WAIT COME BACK I WASN’T READY” across the fells like a lunatic.

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piskyfi@reddit

I’ve improved my bird knowledge through a couple of daily online games. There’s Birdlegame.com and Birdle.co.uk. The latter starts with a blurred out image and sound button to hear a bird call, then you need to figure out categories like diet, habitat, size etc before identifying the bird. I love playing it.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Now that’s what I’m talking about!

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piskyfi@reddit

Can also recommend Get Birding podcast with Sean Bean. It’s on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

What on earth. Amazing! He’s my favourite. How many times is he going to say Bustard?

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aweaselonwheels@reddit

If you go online your local nature reserve has probably already done a digital version of their paper leaflet that will tell you what to look for in different areas of the map so you can have it on your phone.

Have a look if there are any guided walks around nature areas nearby go on them you will learn loads more through immersion than looking at a screen or watching videos.

Duolingo style learning doesn't help here as much as you are not likely to get an oak tree in isolation or engage it in conversation :)

But if you go on a walk around a path with a PDF guide that tells you what you should be able to spot, isn't that better? Also then you will see the variance between the reference pictures and what grows in nature :) Oh and don't get discouraged if it says you might be able to see **insert plant/animal/tree** here and you can't see it. Nature is wild and might not be there anymore or has moved :)

If there is a wildlife walk with someone who actually knows what they are doing rather than me go for it, you will probably learn more in one morning/afternoon than you would trying to figure it out for yourself for a year.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Beautiful comment, thank you!

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aweaselonwheels@reddit

Also don't get discouraged and you don't have to abandon tech either :) I found a flower growing in the grass the other day and took a picture of it and used google lens and it was a grape hyacinth no idea why they are suddenly popping up around here but were rather pretty :) So if you are a socially awkward penguin and want to shy away from people that is fine too :)

I would say that everyone I have ever met involved in ecology and conservation have always been welcoming and want more people to know more and get involved in their local environment :)

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aweaselonwheels@reddit

I wasn't going to look it up in a book either :)

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dsv2202@reddit

Try hanging out on iNaturalist! You can look at animals in your area and post your own photos for experts to identify. Great for learning your local fauna!

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Oh I didn't realise it was a community. Very interesting!

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PineappleFrittering@reddit

Take pictures and upload to iNaturalist later. Mark the location and the app can attempt an automatic identification, but crucially other humans can agree or suggest another species. It's really fun and you can see what other people are recording nearby.

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Tight_Criticism_7870@reddit

This is way too relatable 😄

I think the problem is most apps are built for identifying, not actually learning, so you end up doing exactly what you described — panic-Googling every bird mid-flight.

It would be amazing to have something that trains you gradually, like recognizing patterns over time instead of relying on your phone every time.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

It’s pretty crazy how we’ve got so many identifying apps - which still feels akin to magic in my eyes - and yet the super simple learning apps don’t exist!

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oblectament@reddit

RSPB sells a bird sound clock that marks each hour between 6am and 9pm with the call of a different common bird. Granted, it'll only train you on 12 calls but it's a start!

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Oh wow I know a few people who would love that, me included - I’m getting one!

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crapigavein@reddit

If you mean recognise them visually (rather than from song), maybe a flash card app/website like Quizlet? You can make your own set if you want it to be of birds in your area, or you have access to premade ones from others, eg https://quizlet.com/gb/500604027/british-birds-flash-cards/

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

That’s a great idea, I’ll use that - thanks!

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sockeyejo@reddit

Practice.

Also, take the piss out of yourself. If you don't know something, ask. Folk who know are usually happy to share their knowledge. Folk who don't know will be glad they're not the only ones! A friend of mine is great with botany and I often send her images of random plants to test her knowledge (it's amazing how many things are related to onions) but if you ask her about birds, she mostly shrugs and says "not robin". Another friend is great with fungi but can barely identify a tulip and categorises plants as "pretty", "ouchy" or "climbable". 🤦🤣

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Sea-Still5427@reddit

Woodland Trust?

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queefybean@reddit

I’m an ecologist and here is what I use on field surveys that are super easy and free to use -

Merlin (records bird audio and tells you the species) Picture this (take photo of plant and tells you the species) Woodland trust Tree ID (same as above but for trees)

There are other ID apps for inverts, birds, fungi etc but can’t testify to their quality. Probably better getting some little field guides from Collins or RSPB!

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Nightxp@reddit

This is your answer! My partner also an ecologist also uses these apps and sources, and they are great. Starting picking up things my self and its good fun! Our best find are White Tailed Eagles up in Scotland was an awesome week

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Suspicious_Flower_0@reddit

Go old school and get some books -

https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/books-stationery/bird-books/birdwatching-books

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aje0200@reddit

I have a readers digest book on British trees and it’s great

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Don't get me wrong, I love my books but for learning I've found interactivity to be much better at getting the information in my brain and, crucially, keeping it there.

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jellyantler@reddit

Learning from the book is interactive - you take it outside with you, see something you like, and (try to) look it up in the book!

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Suspicious_Flower_0@reddit

Or how parents used to keep kids entertained on long car journeys

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AromaticVacation3077@reddit

I haven't used duolingo for a while, but as I recall they do offer courses in things other than languages (or they used to anyway). I actually did one on identifying British trees.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

I shall have a look! Duolingo still doesn’t have a Spanish Spanish language course yet - i accidentally learned south American Spanish. But I’ll take a look!

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AromaticVacation3077@reddit

I actually had a look after I made the comment. I think they may have deleted the non language courses unfortunately.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Ah that's a shame, they had a great idea there.

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kwakimaki@reddit

inaturalist app is pretty good for wildlife and plants.

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mo_oemi@reddit

For birds I use Merlin as well, and at least for the common birds around my house, I actually don't need it anymore as I finally learnt to recognise a few songs!

For trees, recently a Redditor recommended this tree map (but AFAIK it's London based): https://apps.london.gov.uk/public-realm-trees/explore?borough=E09000005

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PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

Probably a book.

Don't try and do everything at once though. The problem with identifying stuff outdoors is you actually need to be outdoors to see the stuff. If you try and learn everything before you head out it likely won't work.

There's a great book, a practically core text for Mountain leader candidates, called Nature of Snowdonia. It covers flora, fauna, geology, wildlife. Take the book out with you somewhere, even if it's not Snowdonia, and get used to flicking through when you see a plant you want to ID and finding it in the book. It'll stick in your mind more if you try and do it bit by bit when you see things in real life.

I'm a qualified mountain leader and do plenty of outdoor instruction and I'll tell you now, I am crap at IDing birds. I have learnt the flora, fauna, geology, etc but birds just don't click for me for some reason. It's fine to not know everything! I can't ID birds but I can show you how to drive an ambulance at 110mph safely. Most of my friends are not great drivers but they can point out a red kite to me!

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Ambitious-Elk-3350@reddit

Pick up a children's book called Basic Park Animals or something?

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Puzzled-Barnacle-200@reddit

Not duolingo style, but I used to use iNaturalist. You can take photos of plants or wildlife, and it will often provide very good suggestions as to what it is. You can then post the sighting and its used for estimating habitat spread and population changes. Other users might suggest a change in identification if they have a better idea

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Impressive-Car4131@reddit

Play Wingspan

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

Ooh I love boardgames. Great shout!

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IhaveaDoberman@reddit

To be honest, unless you have some sort of visual impairment, if you can't tell a goose from a swan (with a reasonable chance to get a look at it.

I think you just need to accept that it's not something you're likely to learn without a significant deal of further embarrassment.

Some people's brains just aren't the accurate identifying of shit type. And that's okay.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

That was my poor attempt at humour. But there's plenty that I don't recognise either by sight or sound.

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Which-World-6533@reddit

Did they stop doing the "Spotters Guide to..." books...?

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Over-Language2599@reddit

Or the "Ladybird book of..." or "I Spy book of..."

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Perception_4992@reddit

Try the Merlin app for bird sounds. It’ll bring up pictures of the bird. Or Google lenses.

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Forever_a_Kumquat@reddit

I often keep merlin running in my pocket when I'm out, sometimes for hours at a time. It still picks up the birds fine. When you see something, pull it out and it will already be listed, and it highlights it every time that bird sings again.

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

I've done that and I swear over the past month, I'm being stalked by a Saker Falcon. Started in France, then Spain, now England The app can hear it, but I've never seen it!

Great app but I'm hoping for something that can teach me at home, and I can leave my phone in my pocket when I'm out and about.

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Forever_a_Kumquat@reddit

Have you got a squeaky shoe or something??

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JennyW93@reddit

I would also like to know. Currently I just have a folder that is full of various identifying and map apps, so at least they’re all in one place and I’m not madly scrolling through a ton of apps to find the right one before the thing I’m interested in has vanished. But it’s far from perfect

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StripedRooster@reddit (OP)

I set Merlin to a hot-button but even so, I'd rather not have my phone out so often!

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