Audubon Bird Guide
An app that puts a field guide to North American birds in your pocket.
What Audubon Bird Guide does
The Audubon Bird Guide is a free field guide to more than 800 North American bird species, with photos, songs, range maps and text by Kenn Kaufman. Its Bird ID tool narrows down matches from what you saw, and you can log sightings and find nearby hotspots.
The Audubon Bird Guide is a classic field guide turned into an app, from the National Audubon Society. It covers more than 800 North American species, each with photos, audio clips, range maps and descriptions by naturalist Kenn Kaufman.
To identify a bird, you tell the Bird ID tool what you saw, like size and color, and it narrows the options using your location and the date. It doesn't listen to songs or analyze photos for you, but the recordings make it easy to compare a call you just heard. You can log sightings into a life list, find birding hotspots near you and see recent eBird sightings.
If you want instant ID by sound or photo, Merlin is the better pick. If you want a reference you'll keep learning from, Audubon is a solid, free companion, and plenty of birders use both. It covers North American birds only.
Alternatives to Audubon Bird Guide
Who it's for
Skip it if: Anyone who wants automatic ID by sound or photo. Birders outside North America.
Pricing
Free planThe Audubon Bird Guide is free. Its store listing doesn't mention any in-app purchases.
Prices can vary by country. Checked 19 Oct 2026.
What people like
- Free
- Rich species pages with songs and maps
- Life list and hotspot finder built in
Watch out for
- No automatic sound or photo ID
- North America only
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Questions people ask
Is the Audubon Bird Guide app free?
Yes. It's free on iPhone and Android.
Can the Audubon app identify birds by sound?
No. It has recordings you can compare by ear, but it doesn't listen and identify for you. Merlin or BirdNET do that.
Audubon or Merlin?
Merlin is better for quick ID by sound or photo. Audubon is a richer field guide for North American birds. Many birders use both.
Does it work outside North America?
It covers North American species, so it's less useful elsewhere.