The countries and regions covered by bird field guide apps.
Being able to have a field guide with me at all times is one of the things I like best about my smart phone. Bird field guide apps provide all the material normally found in print guides, plus things like sounds, checklists, and extra information, with more features constantly being added. I love it!
These apps are even better for traveling birders, allowing you to have all the information of a field guide with none of the bulk. Many areas of the world now have a field guide app available for them. Here’s a list of all the apps available for Apple and Android devices.
If I’ve missed any, please let me know in the comments below.
Worldwide
BirdsEye Bird Finding Guide
Photographs; BirdsEye isn’t a field guide app, per se, but it does include photos of nearly every bird on the planet. You can view the 100 most common birds anywhere you are, and can access others through subscriptions. Sound packages are also available for purchase.
iTunes | Google Play
North America
United States and Canada
For more details on these apps, see my Bird Guide App Comparison or this roundup from Birdwatching Buzz.
Audubon Birds — A Field Guide to North American Birds
Photographs; 821 species
iTunes | Google Play
iBird Ultimate Guide to Birds
Paintings and photographs; 946 species
Review (“Pro” version)
iTunes | Google Play (“Pro” version)
Peterson Birds of North America
Paintings; 800+ species
Review
iTunes
The Sibley eGuide to the Birds of North America
Paintings; 814 species
Review
iTunes | Google Play
Central America and Caribbean
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Birds Field Guide
Photographs; 620+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Panama
Panama Birds Field Guide
Photographs; 550+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Birds in Photos and Audio
Photographs; 380+ species
iTunes
South America
Brazil
Birds of Brazil
Photographs; 1800+ species
iTunes
Colombia
Birds of Colombia mobile guide
Photographs; 1800+ species
Google Play
Ecuador
Birds of Ecuador
Photographs; 350 species
iTunes (iPad only)
Peru
Birds of Peru
Paintings; 1,817 species
iTunes
Europe
Europe
Collins Bird Guide
Includes the entire Western Palearctic: Europe, Africa north of the Sahara, and a portion of the Middle East
Paintings; 700+ species
iTunes
Northern Europe
Birds of Northern Europe
Paintings, along with some photos; 352 species
iTunes
Britain and Ireland
Bird Id – British Birds
Photographs; 250 species
iTunes | Google Play
Birder – Guide to Birds of Britain and Ireland
Paintings; 247 species
iTunes
Birds of Britain and Ireland
Paintings, along with some photos; 271 species
iTunes
iBird UK & Ireland Guide to Birds
Paintings and photographs; 283 species
iTunes
RSPB eGuide to British Birds
Paintings; 290+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Asia
Indian Subcontinent
eGuide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent
Paintings; 1300+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Japan
Japanese Birds
Photographs; 250 species
iTunes | Google Play
Korea
Birds of Korea Pro
Paintings and photographs; 450 species
Google Play
Middle East
eGuide to Birds of the Middle East
Paintings; 800+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Collins Bird Guide
Includes the entire Western Palearctic: Europe, Africa north of the Sahara, and a portion of the Middle East
Paintings; 700+ species
iTunes
Singapore
Birds of Singapore
Photographs; 375 species
iTunes | Google Play
Africa
East Africa
eGuide to Birds of East Africa
Paintings; 1300+ species
iTunes | Google Play
North Africa
Collins Bird Guide
Includes the entire Western Palearctic: Europe, Africa north of the Sahara, and a portion of the Middle East
Paintings; 700+ species
iTunes
Southern Africa
Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa
Paintings; 975 species
iTunes
Roberts Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa
Paintings; 962 species
iTunes | Google Play
Sasol eBirds of Southern Africa
Paintings, with photos available as in-app purchase; 969 species
iTunes | Google Play
Australia and Pacific Islands
Australia
The Michael Morcombe and David Stewart eGuide to the Birds of Australia
Paintings; 790+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Pizzey & Knight Birds of Australia
Paintings and photographs; 900+ species
iTunes | Google Play
New Zealand
Birds of New Zealand
Photographs; 360+ species
iTunes | Google Play
Posted by Grant McCreary on November 6th, 2014.
For Windows, The Sibley eGuide to the Birds of North America and RareBirder are available.
Thanks, Pete. I didn’t go beyond Apple and Android because there are few bird apps that support these other devices. The Sibley app is one of the few that does.
A new app covering the birds of Hong Kong, China is also available from 2014 from Apple itunes and google .
Some details are available at
http://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_11082.html
Add to the list The BBI Bird Guide! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.birdbrook.worldbirdguide
Thanks for maintaining this list. FYI: Gaia Guide have published a free bird guide app on iOS and Android. Links to the apps can be found at:
http://www.gaiaguide.info/MobileApps.html
Thanks Ding, Vangelis, and Geoff for the updates. I’ll get them added to the list shortly.
Many thanks for the list; it is valuable to many people.
There’s also a Colombia Birds Field Guide on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avisurv.mobile.android.bocofull
Regional Birds is worth adding to this list, too. I’ve found that I can identify birds much more quickly with it, since it only shows birds that are common where I am at the time.
http://www.piedmontapps.com/regional-birds
For Android, check out BioGuide, covering most of the world’s countries.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bioguideapp
Apps for Puerto Rico and Colombia have been added to the list. More coming soon.
Hi,
great list! But have you looked at sunbird.tv? We have over 80 apps on the market and are market leader in Europe with nature apps with a big focus on bird apps! So far you have only included one of our apps: Bird Id UK.
Cheers,
Peter
Thanks for the link, Peter. I’ll check it out and update the list (eventually, I’m a little behind 🙁 )
You do not yet include the “Australian Birds” app on iPhone and Android. It would be great to see that app included in your list. It is a bit different from standard guides in that: it crowd sources content from users; it is free; it provides a unique ability to search by plumage colours. Total downloads now exceed those of other commercial guides to Australian birds.
A guide to birds in the US will be coming soon, with content generated along similar lines.
Dear birders,
We have just released All Birds Colombia and All Birds Ecuador (Venezuela and Guianas are coming soon too). These apps cover all species and include 6000 detailed illustrations of all relevant subspecies and forms and songs of 90% of all covered species! It is based on Bloomsbury’s Helm field guide “Birds of Northern South America by Robin Restall – would all be a nice addition to your list,
Cheers,
Peter
Wow, it seems I’ve got some updating to do! Thanks everyone for the updates, I’ll get those incorporated asap.
There’s also Naturgate-app for Finland (Europe)
Birds: more than 250 species, sound samples included
https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/naturegate-mobile/id1042566006?mt=8
Jaakko
Hi!
Don’t forget the App “Aves de España” with all species present in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands, made by the Spanish Ornithological Society. It’s complete and free!
For Europe, We have alos for Android
Ornidroid
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.ornidroid&hl=fr
For Europe, We have also for Android
Ornidroid
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.ornidroid&hl=fr
I have a free app Christmas Island birds
[…] far I only tried free apps. Here are two good app review articles : Birder Library and Blog […]
Hi,
iPhone apps are needed for Ecuador. This would be a great addition. sunbird has it as well as lots more.
In addition there is this one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coolideas.eproducts.hbidwesternpalearctic
For us, Android users in Europe
Thanks, Kakapo
Hello,
We have also the Birding Notebook app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.namespace.birdingnotebookapp
Available on Android and for worldwide users
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I’m in North America and I regularly use the Merlin Bird ID by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Just a casual bird noticer, I wouldn’t call myself anything more fancy. But it’s a great app and free (they’ll very nicely contact you for donations from time to time, but they’re not a for profit org).
Need apps for Bangkok, Angkor Wat and Vientiane
for Android phone or Windows PCs or Tablets checkout RareBirder at: http://www.pkzsoftware.com/Pages/RareBirder.aspx
I am here in Thailand and don’t see an app for Iphone covering this very rich area for birding. Are there any apps covering this area?
@Tom: Sorry, I’m not aware of any right now.
You need to lust more European birding apps! There is a free app for the birds of the Wadden Islands – on the North Sea coast of the Netherlands and Germany, available from the App Store or iPhone and iPad. It is called Wadvogels, written by Vogelbescherming Nederland; version 2 was released in 2017.
Thanks for the heads up, Nina! I’ll have to check that out for my next update.
Also useful for Europe is the Kosmos/USM app: Identify the Birds of Europe. Very good for basics (only one call/song per species) but it covers 476 species, includes 117 downloadable videos, it’s in English, easily searchable, with range maps for everything. Also has an interesting Identification feature, allowing you to input criteria and narrow down possible ID. Version 1.01 came out in 2015. And it’s inexpensive (under $10).
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I’m unable to get Birds of Korea Pro on my Android phone using Google Play.
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The Birds of Korea Pro app has been removed from the Google Play Store and apple.
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Any apps for Cuba or Cayman Islands?