Coming soon
The Hide
Every bird hide, viewing platform, and birding spot. Mapped, maintained, and ready for your next outing.
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What is it
Find your perfect hide.
The Hide is a crowdsourced mobile app that maps bird hides and birding spots worldwide. Enclosed hides, viewing platforms, observation towers, scrapes, lookouts. Every type of spot, in one place.
Open the app, find a hide near you, and immediately know whether it's worth visiting. Current condition, recent sightings, access notes, and directions. All before you leave the car park.
Where it started
It started with Aunty Yvonne.
My Aunty Yvonne van Netten spent decades as a theatre nurse. Since she retired, she birds every day. Full time, if you can call it that.
We went out together just before Covid. I had the better camera and mostly felt like I knew what I was doing.
We went again more recently. She'd named three birds before I switched my camera on. I'm the padawan now.
She reads an area before she settles. I'm still scanning when she's already heard what's there. After every outing she looks things up and comes back knowing more.
She got me back into birding properly. None of the apps I found put the hide at the centre. So I built one that did.
The icon is a Red-necked Avocet. She watches them at her regular spot. The Hide is my love letter to her.
Features
Everything you need at the hide.
Map-first discovery
Browse every hide, platform, tower, scrape, lookout, and open site on a single map. Filter by type, accessibility, or habitat.
Live eBird sightings
Each spot shows what's been seen there in the last 30 days, pulled live from eBird. So you know if it's worth the drive.
Condition reports
Community condition updates tell you whether the hide is open, overgrown, flooded, or perfect right now. Not six months ago.
Community-maintained
Submit new hides, upload photos, and file condition reports. Every contribution makes the app more useful for every birder.
One tap to directions
Hit Directions and The Hide hands off to Apple or Google Maps with the coordinates already set. No copying, no fuss.
Field-ready detail
Access notes, parking info, facilities, habitat type, photo galleries, and accessibility ratings. Everything before you leave.
Community
Built by birders.
For birders.
The Hide is community-maintained and free of ads. Anyone can submit a new spot, file a condition report, or upload a photo. The more people contribute, the better it gets for everyone.
$7.99, once
Buy it once, own it forever. No subscription, no ads, no upsells.
Open data
Built on OpenStreetMap seed data with community additions on top.
Conservation-aligned
Your purchase keeps the lights on. No investor pressure, no growth-at-all-costs.
Stay in the loop
Be first through the gate.
Drop your email and we'll let you know the moment The Hide is available. No spam. One email when it's ready.