BirdScout is a Kotlin-based mobile application designed to enhance the birdwatching experience. Leveraging the eBird API, it provides users with access to bird hotspots and allows them to document their personal sightings. Users can also capture or upload bird photos and explore detailed research information about various bird species.
- Access real-time data from the eBird API to locate nearby birding hotspots
- View detailed maps of popular birding locations
- Record bird sightings with notes about species, behavior, and location
- Save sightings for future reference in your personal birding log
- Take photos of birds directly within the app or upload existing images from your device
- Organize and attach images to specific sightings
Access in-depth information about bird species, including:
- Scientific name
- Diet
- Behavior
- Migration patterns
- Learn more to enhance your birding knowledge
- eBird API: Provides birding hotspot and species data
- Kotlin: For developing a robust, native Android application
- Jetpack Compose: For creating a modern, intuitive, and user-friendly UI
- SQLite: For offline storage of user sightings
- Room Database: To simplify SQLite database interactions
- Android Studio: Install the latest version of Android Studio for development
- Kotlin: The app is built using Kotlin, so ensure your development environment supports it
Obtain an API key from eBird API to enable hotspot and species data integration. Add your API key to the app's configuration file:
const val EBIRD_API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
Configure the API key:
Replace your_api_key_here in the Constants.kt file with your eBird API key
Build and run the application on your device or emulator
Usage
Discover Hotspots
Open the app and allow location access
View nearby hotspots on an interactive map
Log a Bird Sighting
Tap the "Add Sighting" button
Enter details about the bird and its behavior
Capture or upload a photo
Research Birds
Use the search feature to find information about specific species
Browse through curated content to expand your knowledge
Contributing
We welcome contributions to enhance the Birding Companion app! To contribute:
Fork the repository
Create a new branch for your feature or fix
Commit your changes and open a pull request
Licensing
This project is licensed under the MIT License. Feel free to use and modify the app for your personal or commercial projects.
Acknowledgments
eBird API: For providing comprehensive birding data
Birding Community: For inspiring this app's creation
Support
For questions, feedback, or suggestions, feel free to:
Contact us at support@birdingcompanion.com
Open an issue in the repository
Enjoy birding with Birding Companion! 🦅