Sheffield teen builds bird-watching app - that can identify 4,000 birds and is used all across the globe - during lockdown

"Somebody in London has just recorded a long-tailed tit,” says Matt Giles, indicating the phone in his hand.
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We’re in Ecclesall Woods, and the bird chatter is quiet today, but elsewhere in the world it seems bird watchers are having more luck.

"ChiffChaff has users all over the globe,” says Matt, of the bird identifying app that he created whilst in lockdown earlier this year.

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People have signed up to use it from as far away as South America and India, and I find it fascinating to see what they record

Matt GilesMatt Giles
Matt Giles

"Sometimes it’s just a sighting, other times it’s a photo or audio.”

The 17-year-old explains that it was whilst out running, during the first national lockdown back in the spring, that he started to become aware of the bird calls all around him, near his home in Dore.

"I’m no bird watcher, but I became intrigued by the sounds,” says Matt, a student, currently studying for his A-Levels in maths, further maths, and physics.

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"I’d been teaching myself about machine learning, and coding, so I decided building an app to help the birding community to identify bird sounds would be a perfect project.”

ChiffChaff is available on the app storeChiffChaff is available on the app store
ChiffChaff is available on the app store

Matt, who continued his studies virtually from March to July, would spend his mornings on schoolwork, and his afternoons coding.

He says: “There’s no doubt this has been a tough year, but coding ChiffChaff gave me a focus.

"I think 2020 has seen a lot of people taking the opportunity to reconnect with nature, which is great, and I hope this app can help them that do even more.

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"ChiffChaff came from my own desire to better understand what I was hearing while I was out and about walking or running and, since launching in September, it already has hundreds of users.

Matt GilesMatt Giles
Matt Giles

"I hope that more people will take the opportunity to reconnect with nature in the coming months, and that my app can help give them more understanding of what they’re hearing.”

The algorithm in the app can identify around 4,000 different bird sounds, and Matt already has ideas for lots of ways he’d like to expand the app.

"I’ve just incorporated quizzes as a new feature, and have lots of other ideas for the future.”

You can download ChiffChaff from the app store.

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