Spot real cats, dogs and birds Free real-world animal spotting game
Point your phone at an animal you meet. Sightfern recognises it on your device and adds it to your field album, with its colour, rarity and the time you saw it. Your photos never leave this phone.
Looking…
The recogniser downloads the first time you use it (about 14 MB; your browser keeps a copy) and runs on this device. No photo, video or location is uploaded.
Your field album
Badges
Card frame
Privacy
Sightfern has no account and no server: photos, the album and the optional rough location are stored in this browser only. Clearing the site's data or the button below deletes them for good.
Sightfern: spot real animals camera game
Sightfern turns everyday walks into a collection game. Point your phone's camera at a real cat, dog or bird and an on-device recogniser identifies it, reads its coat or plumage colour and stamps the time of day. Each sighting fills a slot in your field album, with rarity, badges, a daily quest and a streak. Photos, the album and the optional rough location stay on your phone: nothing is uploaded.
How to play Sightfern
- Tap Start camera and point it at a cat, dog or bird you meet (or pick a photo from your gallery).
- When a dashed box appears around the animal, tap Spot it.
- Sightfern reads the animal's colour and the time of day and adds a sighting card to your album.
- Fill every colour slot on the Cats, Dogs and Birds pages and collect badges.
- Spot at least one animal a day to keep your streak; complete the daily quest.
Controls
Phone and tablet: Use the back camera: hold the animal in the frame until the dashed box appears, then tap Spot it.
Desktop, laptop and Chromebook: Use a webcam or choose a photo file; the same recogniser runs in your browser.
Sightfern tips and strategy
- Get close enough that the animal fills about a third of the frame.
- Night sightings (after 9 pm) rank one rarity higher.
- Patched (two-colour) cats and dogs are rare: look for tuxedo, calico and piebald coats.
- No animal around? Tag a past photo yourself; it gets a ✍️ stamp.
Game modes
- Cats, Dogs and Birds albums (free): colour slots, rarity, badges, daily quest and streak.
- Tag it myself (free): add a sighting by hand when the camera can't see it.
- Fun Pass: Farm and Wild & zoo albums (horses, sheep, cows, bears, elephants, zebras, giraffes) and Gold, Film and Holo card frames.
Spotting, the Cats, Dogs and Birds albums, badges, quests and streaks are free, with no ads and no sign-up. The Farm and Wild & zoo albums and extra card frames come with the optional CyberMax Fun Pass ($2.99/month, $19/year or $29.99 for life), which also opens extras in every CyberMax game.
Sightfern FAQ
Is Sightfern free?
Yes. The camera recogniser, the Cats, Dogs and Birds albums, badges, quests and streaks are free, with no ads and no sign-up.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. Recognition runs on your device and the album is stored in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or anyone else.
Does it track my location?
No. Location is off unless you switch it on, and then only a rough position (about 11 km) is kept, on your phone only.
Which animals does it recognise?
Cats, dogs and birds in the free albums; the Fun Pass adds horses, sheep, cows, bears, elephants, zebras and giraffes.
Does it work offline?
After the first load, the albums and cards work offline; the recogniser needs your browser's cached copy from the first use.