Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 15, 2026

Introduction & Scope

Welcome to The Feathers. This Privacy Policy applies to The Feathers mobile application and website (thefeathers.app). We respect your privacy and are committed to being transparent about how we handle data. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal data.

Information Collected

We collect and process the following types of information:

Locally Stored Data: Favorites and recently viewed items are stored locally in the app's private storage on your device and are only accessible by this app. This data never leaves your device.

Usage Data: We use Google Analytics to track anonymized interactions within the app (such as which birds are viewed or searched for). This includes device information, app usage patterns, and interaction events.

Cached Data: Bird species data is loaded from our servers at runtime; images and network responses may be cached on-device (app cache) to improve performance.

Purpose of Processing

We collect and process data for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain the app's functionality
• To improve user experience and app performance
• To understand how users interact with bird content
• To analyze usage patterns and optimize features
• To ensure app stability and fix technical issues

Third-Party Sharing

We share anonymized analytics data with Google Analytics to help us improve the app. No personally identifiable information is collected or shared. This data helps us understand which features are most useful and how we can improve the app.

The app displays content from Wikipedia, AVONET, Department of Conservation NZ, and other third-party sources. Each item includes copyright and licensing attributions. When you follow an external link, the linked site's terms and privacy policy — and any license terms shown in the attribution — will apply. We recommend reviewing those attributions and the linked site's policies before proceeding.

For more information about Google Analytics privacy practices, visit: Google Privacy Policy

Cookies & Tracking

Our website uses Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how visitors use the site and to improve content. Analytics only runs after you give consent in the cookie prompt; if declined, only essential storage (like your theme preference in localStorage) remains and no analytics requests are sent.

The mobile app uses Google Analytics for Firebase, which may use device identifiers and analytics cookies. You can control analytics participation through the app's initial consent screen when you first use the app, and you can update your preferences at any time through your account settings.

Data Security

We take data security seriously. All data stored locally on your device is protected by your device's security measures and is only accessible by The Feathers app. Analytics data transmitted to Google Analytics is sent over encrypted connections. We do not maintain any servers that store personal user information.

User Rights

You have the following rights regarding your data:

Access: Your favorites and recently viewed items are stored locally on your device and accessible only to you through the app.
Rectification: You can modify your favorites list at any time within the app.
Erasure: You can clear your favorites and recently viewed items from the app settings. Uninstalling the app will remove all locally stored data.
Opt-out of Analytics: You can control analytics consent through your account settings at any time.
Data Portability: Your favorites and recently viewed items are stored locally on your device. Bird species information is retrieved from our servers and not permanently stored on your device.

Children's Privacy

The Feathers is suitable for all ages and is designed for educational purposes. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children. Our app uses only anonymous analytics data. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us, and we will take steps to remove such information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at:

Email: support@findafeather.com
App Support: Via Settings → About → Support within the app