Visual Look Up

A neat way to identify nature right in the iPhone Photos app

Thanks to a tip from one of BirdingZen’s readers, I was made aware of a new way to identify plants/birds/animals by using the Photos app on my iPhone. Over the past two years, Apple has been perfecting a new object identifying feature called Visual Look Up and the recent iOS 17 software update really has this dialed in.

It is very easy to use. In the Photos app:

Source: iPhone User Guide

Here are some examples of natural objects from my Photos library that were tested to see how they were identified by the Visual Look Up software.

Correctly identified - an easy test

Correctly identified - this a more difficult given the Trumpeter and Tundra Swans can look very similar.

Bravo on this id - Coopers Hawks can easily be confused with Sharp-shinned Hawk. Notice the ID information button second from right. That is what to tap for getting the results - very simple. The white around the hawk is actually the software letting me know what object it is identifying.

I was impressed with all the bird IDs I tested in my library. If a bird was too far away, there was no ID response so the object needs to be fairly prominent in the photo. What I will find extremely helpful is using it for insect identification. I am always interested in what bees, butterflies and other bugs I come across but not enough to immerse myself in learning to identify them properly. This will open up a whole new way to learn - here are a few examples:

These insects are so fun to see as they always catch me off guard thinking they are a hummingbird at first. They took a fancy to my garden phlox last summer.

This was very distinctive as it was a very large bumblebee feasting on bee balm.

Another bumblebee - different species - on false indigo which is a terrific native plant for bees

For plant identification in the past I have used third party apps such as PlantSnap, iNaturalist and Seek. Now having the ability to identify plants and other natural objects through the Photos app will eliminate the need for many of these other apps.

One of the difficult challenges for identification in nature is the mushroom. It will be fun to know what species of fungus I am photographing. They seem to always be morphing into different shapes and colors as they mature making them hard to identify. It will be helpful to have a virtual field guide on my phone although I know I am not ready to trust artificial intelligence to tell me a mushroom is safe to eat!

With its simple and instant feedback, this software has so much potential for educating and observing nature. What is exciting, and perhaps a bit unsettling, is how these machine learning programs will seamlessly integrate into our lives. We now have the benefit of instantly identifying species in nature, without countless hours of study and field observations, and all accessible on a handheld computer/phone.