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How to use Bird Alert to be notified when a bird you're interested in is spotted nearby
How to use Bird Alert to be notified when a bird you're interested in is spotted nearby
Scott Arnold avatar
Written by Scott Arnold
Updated over a year ago

To set a bird alert, first check to make sure you have given the Audubon Bird Guide app permissions to send you notifications. Here's how to do that:

iOS:

  1. Open the Settings app

  2. Navigate to Notifications for the Audubon Bird Guide App and make sure “Allow Notifications” is enabled

  3. Return to the Audubon Bird Guide App and tap My Audubon > My Custom Lists & Alerts > Custom List of your choosing and check to see if any sightings have been reported for the species on your list

  4. If there is a heading that says “No sightings in last 24 hours” with all of the species under it, no sighting has been reported to eBird for that species

  5. If there is a sighting, you will see a heading that says "Seen in The Last 24 Hours" with a bell next to it and a list of species seen underneath the heading

*Tip: Your device must have an active internet connection to receive notifications. If you’re not receiving notifications, check to make sure your device wasn’t offline at the time you chose the notification to be sent.

Android:

  1. Open the Settings app and navigation to the Apps & notifications menu

  2. Then, tap Audubon Bird Guide App (if you can't spot it, tap See All)

  3. Tap on Permissions, and make sure Notifications permission are enabled

  4. Return to the Audubon Bird Guide App and tap My Audubon > My Custom Lists & Alerts > Custom List of your choosing and check to see if any sightings have been reported for the species on your list

  5. If there is a heading that says “No sightings in last 24 hours” with all of the species under it, no sighting has been reported to eBird for that species

  6. If there is a sighting, you will see a heading that says "Seen in The Last 24 Hours" with a bell next to it and a list of species seen underneath the heading

*Note: these instructions may differ slightly for your version of Android. Consult your device’s documentation for more specific guidance.

*Tip: Your device must have an active internet connection to receive notifications. If you’re not receiving notifications, check to make sure your device wasn’t offline at the time you chose the notification to be sent.

Further troubleshooting for iOS & Android:

  1. If you’re still not receiving a notification, log out of your account in My Audubon > Account Settings, and log back in.

  2. If you’re still not receiving a notification, log out of your account in My Audubon > Account Settings, delete the Audubon Bird Guide App and reinstall it on iOS or Android by clicking this link.

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