A new app has launched that aims to gamify birdwatching by allowing people to collect digital cards of UK bird species whenever they record seeing one.

Users of Birdex accumulate points for each bird they see, with less common and rare species yielding the greatest rewards. It is possible to add friends and compete over bird sightings. The app has got birdwatchers talking online – though it has raised hackles among some for its use of AI-generated artwork.

“Birds are great,” said Harry Scott, 24, one of the developers behind the app, who works in marketing. He and a collaborator built the app as a side project over a period of six months and he said the idea was to layer a rewards-based experience over birdwatching with a view to engaging young people in nature