Terms of use

Last updated November 7, 2026

Birding is run by Rec-Safe (RECSAFE), a Washington corporation ("we" and "us"). By using Birding, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use it.

What Birding is

Birding keeps a birder's records: each sighting with what bird it was and how sure the identification is, when and where it was seen (its exact place, encrypted), how many, whether it was seen or only heard, its age and sex, what it was doing and any breeding evidence, how it was identified, a checklist link, and its photos and recordings; the life list and year lists made from them; spots and outings; checklists and a hoping-to-see list; gear; dates to keep and a calendar of bird walks, counts, and festivals; an import from eBird or iNaturalist; and reports. It also has the Birdpedia, a reference of the world's birds that everyone signed in shares. A log can be shared with the people its owner chooses, and shown through public galleries its owner makes. It's free to use. We may change it, add to it, or stop it at any time.

Your account

Give true information, keep your sign-in to yourself (your email, your passkeys, and any password or PIN), and tell us at info@rec-safe.com if you think someone else has used it. You're responsible for what's done with your account. A log is yours. You can share it with up to 8 people, to look at it or to help keep it; they see everything in it. You can also make galleries: public links that show the sightings you choose, as described below, and list gear for sale or trade in the Marketplace.

What you put on Birding

What you add (your sightings' records, photos, recordings, and papers, and the messages gallery visitors send you) stays yours. You give us permission to store it, show it to the people it's meant for, and copy it as needed to run Birding (in backups, for example). Only add what you have the right to share, and nothing that's unlawful, hateful, harassing, private to someone else, or meant to mislead. We may remove anything that breaks these terms.

Using it fairly

Please don't break the law with Birding, try to get into anyone else's account or our servers, overload it or copy it in bulk with automated tools, send spam, or use it to harm anyone. We may suspend or end the use of anyone who does.

Birds first

Birding is for watching birds, not disturbing them. Keep your distance, especially from nests and roosts; don't bait or chase birds, or use recordings where it disturbs them or isn't allowed; and follow the rules of each place, with permission on private land. Birding isn't legal advice about where you may go or what you may do there.

The Birdpedia

The Birdpedia's names, families, and ranges come from the IOC World Bird List (CC BY 3.0) and Wikidata, and its full entries are written with care from published sources; birds vary, names change, sources sometimes disagree, and an entry may be wrong. Identifications in Birding are your own.

Galleries, shared photos, and messages

You're responsible for what your galleries and shared photos show, and the names you give your sightings are your own identifications. Gallery visitors must not send spam, threats, or anything unlawful; messages that do may be deleted, and a gallery's messages can be turned off at any time.

Imports

When you import from eBird, iNaturalist, or a spreadsheet, you're responsible for having the right to the records you bring in. The file is kept encrypted only until the import is done, then deleted.

Your records

You're responsible for what you keep in Birding. Keep your own copy of anything important: the download in Settings has everything but the photos, recordings, and papers.

Fair use of space

Each file can be up to 20 MB. Please keep to what you need for your own sightings.

The Marketplace

Birding doesn't buy, sell, hold, ship, or take part in any deal: a listing is between its seller and whoever answers it. Sellers are responsible for what they list, for describing it honestly, and for the law where they and the buyer are, including taxes, customs, and export rules. The Marketplace is for gear only: never birds, eggs, nests, or feathers, which the law protects in Canada, the United States, and many other countries. Each listing asks you to confirm that. We may hide or remove any listing, and a report hides one until we look at it. Listings run 90 days unless they're renewed. Take care in any deal: we can't vouch for anyone.

No guarantees

We work to keep Birding running and accurate, but it's provided as it is, without any warranty: it may have mistakes, and it may be unavailable at times.

Limits on our responsibility

As far as the law allows, Rec-Safe isn't responsible for any indirect loss or damage from using Birding (or not being able to), and our total responsibility for any claim is limited to what you paid us for Birding in the 12 months before it, or $50 if you paid nothing. Some places don't allow these limits, so they may not all apply to you.

The law that applies

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington and the federal laws of the United States, and any dispute goes to the courts of Washington. Nothing in these terms takes away rights you have under the consumer-protection laws where you live.

Changes and questions

We may update these terms; the date at the top says when we last did, and using Birding after a change means you accept it. Our privacy policy says what we keep and why. Questions? Email info@rec-safe.com.