Helping save endangered species? There's an app for that - CNET

When it comes to mobile apps, you've no doubt heard of Angry Birds. But what about Endangered Birds?

No, it's not a game, it's serious business. San Diego Zoo Global -- a conservation group with programs worldwide, and the parent organization of the famous Califoia zoo -- is using a customized mobile app to aid in field studies of two of the state's endangered bird species: the weste snowy plover and the Califoia least te.

Flowfinity, maker of the app, said in a press release earlier this week that SDZ Global's use of the software had been expanded to include the two species.

Conservation researchers use the app to "record field observations in mobile forms instead of paper, as well as look up past field data collected throughout the season on mobile devices," Flowfinity said.

SDZ added that the app helps "improve the accuracy and efficiency" of field studies because it lets researchers "quickly search through thousands of records" and "validate data entries while offline." The offline bit is key.

"It was critical for the solution to support offline data access, real-time in the field, since nesting birds and chicks are often observed on beaches without network coverage," Flowfinity said. "This allows researchers to verify current measurements against past data, such as previous wingspan or weight of banded birds, or reference numbers for up to thousands of nests and chicks sighted."

SDZ also said the app helps it save "10 hours each week in data entry and administrative tasks, and 40 hours at the end of the season in cleaning up data for analysis."

High-tech bird-watching, anyone?