Birds Eye imagery and 3D maps have been a popular feature of Bing Maps for many years. However, in recent times there has been some uncertainty around whether this feature is still available in Bing Maps. In this article, we will take a look at the history of Birds Eye View in Bing Maps, examine whether it is still offered today, and summarize the key facts around the availability of this aerial imagery feature.
What is Birds Eye View in Bing Maps?
Birds Eye View refers to the high resolution aerial and satellite imagery in Bing Maps that provides an immersive, 3D-like perspective of a location. Using advanced imagery processing techniques, Birds Eye View stiches together photos captured from multiple angles to create seamless, high-resolution orthographic photos from an angled perspective.
This allows users to see a location from different vantage points, pan around, and even view 3D rendered buildings and landmarks in supported cities. Birds Eye View provides significantly more visual detail than the traditional straight down cartographic view in maps.
History of Birds Eye View in Bing Maps
Birds Eye imagery first debuted in Bing Maps in 2009, as part of Microsoft’s efforts to improve their mapping products and compete with Google Maps. At launch, Birds Eye View was available for a few dozen cities across the United States.
Microsoft steadily expanded the coverage of Birds Eye View over the next few years. By 2012, Birds Eye imagery was available for over 100 cities, focused mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia.
In recent years, Microsoft has continued to improve their aerial imagery and 3D rendering capabilities. Updates like oblique Bird’s Eye View in 2016 brought an even more immersive perspective for supported cities. Integration of Microsoft’s AI technology has also improved 3D modeling of buildings and landmarks.
Is Birds Eye View Still Available in Bing Maps?
So does Bing Maps still offer Birds Eye aerial imagery in 2023? The short answer is yes, Birds Eye View is still part of Bing Maps, though coverage is limited compared to the earlier years of the feature.
When looking at Bing Maps for a particular city, you can tell if Birds Eye imagery is available by looking for the perspective icon in the lower left corner of the map. This icon lets you toggle between the standard overhead map view and an angled Birds Eye perspective.
Here are some key facts on the current availability of Birds Eye View:
– Birds Eye imagery is primarily available in the United States, certain cities in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Africa. Coverage is fairly limited outside of the U.S.
– In the United States, Birds Eye View is available for most major cities, but coverage in smaller towns and rural areas is spotty.
– Bing Maps has limited the total number of supported Birds Eye cities over the past few years. Less popular or lower quality imagery has been removed.
– The most recent Birds Eye imagery is from between 2015-2022, depending on the location. Imagery has not been updated for every city in recent years.
– 3D rendering of buildings and landmarks is also inconsistent and not universally available even in supported Birds Eye cities. The 3D map view has been phased out in some regions.
So in summary, Birds Eye View still exists but is more limited than it was 5 or 10 years ago. The feature is focused on select major metropolitan areas, primarily in the United States.
Examples of Cities With Birds Eye View Support
Here are some examples of larger cities where users can still access Birds Eye aerial imagery in Bing Maps as of 2023:
| City | State | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | Washington | USA |
| San Francisco | California | USA |
| New York City | New York | USA |
| Chicago | Illinois | USA |
| London | N/A | United Kingdom |
| Paris | N/A | France |
| Sydney | New South Wales | Australia |
And some smaller towns and cities with coverage:
| City | State | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Boise | Idaho | USA |
| Scranton | Pennsylvania | USA |
| Ballarat | Victoria | Australia |
Examples of Cities Without Birds Eye View
Unfortunately, many cities and towns do not have Birds Eye imagery available. For example, as of 2023, Birds Eye View is not available in the following places:
| City | State | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Maine | USA |
| Columbus | Ohio | USA |
| Phoenix | Arizona | USA |
| San Diego | California | USA |
| Miami | Florida | USA |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | USA |
| Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
| Mexico City | Mexico City | Mexico |
So if you search Bing Maps for any of the above locations, you will see the standard overhead map view but no Birds Eye perspective available. Coverage remains limited outside of major metropolitan hubs.
Future Outlook for Birds Eye View in Bing Maps
Given the more limited availability of Birds Eye View compared to Bing Map’s earlier years, what does the future look like for this aerial imagery feature? Here are some considerations:
– **Less expansion to new areas:** It seems unlikely that Microsoft will dramatically expand Birds Eye View coverage anytime soon. Adding support for smaller towns and rural areas may not be a priority.
– **Focus on quality over quantity:** Bing Maps seems to be focusing on improving image quality and 3D rendering for supported Birds Eye cities rather than expanding to new ones. Less popular imagery is being removed.
– **Emphasis on street-level imagery:** Bing Streetside provides 360 degree street-level imagery similar to Google Street View. Microsoft seems focused on expanding this feature to more areas as a priority over Birds Eye View.
– **Possibility of eventually phasing out:** With limited availability and updates over time, Bing Maps could potentially phase out Birds Eye View altogether and focus on overhead and street-level views only. But likely not in the very near future.
So in summary, expect Birds Eye coverage to remain relatively limited in scope and steadily improve quality for supported cities. But less priority on expanding support to new locations or comprehensively updating old imagery in the near term.
Key Takeaways
Here are the key facts to remember about the current state of Birds Eye View in Bing Maps:
– Birds Eye View is still offered, but availability is limited primarily to major cities in the U.S. and a few other countries.
– Coverage is sparse in smaller towns and rural areas. Many cities have no Birds Eye imagery.
– Image quality and perspective varies between cities. Some areas have outdated imagery.
– Microsoft seems focused on quality over quantity these days when it comes to Birds Eye View.
– Birds Eye may continue to exist as a feature but is unlikely to see dramatic expansion in the near future.
So in summary, Birds Eye View still exists in Bing Maps but has become a more niche offering compared to the heyday of the feature several years ago. Expect its availability to remain constrained moving forward.
Conclusion
Birds Eye View revolutionized digital mapping when Microsoft introduced the feature to Bing Maps over a decade ago. The high-resolution 45-degree aerial imagery provides an immersive way to explore and navigate cities that the standard overhead view cannot.
However, over time Birds Eye View availability has been scaled back, with coverage limited primarily to major metropolitan areas in the United States, select cities in other countries, and a few smaller towns. Image quality and updates are also inconsistent between areas now.
So while Birds Eye View still exists as part of Bing Maps, its scope is much more limited compared to earlier years. Moving forward, expect Microsoft to focus on improving image quality for supported cities rather than dramatically expanding coverage to new areas. But this classic Bing Maps feature remains useful where available, providing an engaging way to visualize and navigate urban neighborhoods and landscapes.
