The Sibley eGuide App Reviews

Great app over all, but how do I get rid of the keyboard after Ive done a search?

Love this app as I use it in the field a lot. When are you going to optimize for iPhone 5??

Love this app, use it frequently in the field. But it needs to be updated. If and when this happens Ill give it ( stars.

I have seen this bird many time before but never knew what it was. It is smaller than a Black Phoebe and looks almost exactly like it but Black Phoebe are located in the west not the east(like Maryland).

The interface for this app is a bit dated compared to Peterson and Audubon. Just being honest. But I appreciate the update for iPhone 5. And the thumbnails that were added in the list view are nice. The illustrations in this app are still the best for identification.

The features that make the Sibley app worthwhile in the field - comparison, lots of drawings and the quick search feature - are still there, but Im disappointed that this update didnt capture all the recent changes approved by the AOU and the ABA (the "whats new" statement does include a couple of splits, but not all changes). The birds are in old taxonomic order (Loons, Grebes, Albatrosses, etc.) instead of the newer order (Ducks/Geese, Chachalaca, Quail, etc., with Falcons/Parrots following Woodpeckers). Also, several birds that appear in the U.S. are not in this app - four are missing for my life list. The first time I wrote to the app publisher I was told that the app follows the book, so if a bird was not in the book, then it wasnt in the app. However, the app publishers have the ability to be more current and relevant than the printed product, which is more costly and time-intensive to create (but which I will still purchase when it is released). National Geographic, a similar app with book ties, has placed the birds in current tax order ahead of the printed version, and NatGeo has all the birds seen in North America, including Sungrebe and Sinaloa Wren. The latest Audubon version hasnt updated to the 2012 tax order but is still newer than the Sibley app. Please take the time to make this more current.

I love the app. It is great for traveling when I want to go light and I do not have room for a hard copy bird guide. I found an error. When "Alaska" is selected as my location...the gray-headed chickadee is not included in the query.

Very well done app that continues to improve. If youre a birder, or just want to learn birds, you need this app. I would like to see the option to go directly to the search screen upon launch rather than adding the extra step from the splash screen every time.

This is a must have app for any birder! I also own the hard copy of this book. The digital version has some key enhancements that make this worth the money! My two favorites are the compare feature which lets you place birds side by side and the bird calls (which you can put on repeat!). These features are an amazing tool for new and experienced birders alike. Offering the "lite" preview version free is a sign that they know they are selling you a good quality product that they are proud of. Amazing!

Dont really have anything bad to say, except theres one part of the most recent update that I dont like: changes to the "my list" section. I dont understand how the default list is listed. I like how in default, they were listed in alphabetical order. Now they just seem to be listed in no particular order, unless you choose to see your list by order of date or location. If I cant remember if Ive seen a bird, I want to find it on my list quickly and easily (if Ive seen it), which I cant do after this update.

Love using this in the field on my iPhone. Was disappointed that it did not sync with my new iPad. My List does not appear on the iPad----the list is blank.

Doesnt list all North American birds. Only 2 chickadee species, 3 titmouse species. No American black duck. Only one waxwing species. No eurasian tree sparrow. Wish I had known this before purchasing. Ibird still better.

Overall Im happy with the update. I have several birding apps but this the one go to the most. I especially like the feature that allows you to keep a list of birds spotted. The latest update no longer displays your list alphabetically. it looks like they are sorting the list Taxonomical instead of alphabetical. This makes it difficult to quickly search through for a specific bird when your list gets longer. Ideally it would be nice to have the option to sort "My List" Taxonomical or Alphabetical like the main list does. Hopefully this will be added in the next update.

I enjoy this app. One suggestion is to include the 4 letter banding code for all the species. For instance RNEP for ring-necked pheasant. This would greatly aid field work. Happy birding!

Finally, an easy to use but sufficiently detailed source for identifying birds, including recordings. Very exciting.

I have been using the Sibley eGuide for about 4 months and I enjoy it very much. The content is outstanding, since it includes all of the birds of North America including rarities. This actually makes it a very good value when you compare the cost of the app to a comprehensive field guide in book form. Variations for each species are shown. There are usually several different recorded bird calls for each species - this is one of my favorite features of this app. I also like the "compare" feature, where you can pull up any two species side-by-side. For someone who is somewhat new to birding and bird identification, this app has been an outstanding help. If you are serious about keeping lists, you might not be satisfied with this app. I like that I can see "My List" of birds, overall, by date, or by location, and can email my list as a .csv file. But there is room for improvement. It would be great if the lists could be compatible with eBird, the Cornell citizen-science data collection project. I also wish that some of the links in My Birds were more interactive....e.g. I wish I could click on a species in my list and have it take me to the overview page for that bird. I also wish there were a "checkmark" at the top of each overview page where I could see at a glance that I have seen that species, where and when. In the notes for this app I see that there are plans in the future to introduce new features in this area, which I look forward to. Overall, great app, highly recommended for anyone who loves birds and wants to learn more about them.

I am a complete convert and exclusively use the Sibley eGuide in the field. Its the perfect reference for birding in that it packs all the information in the large Sibley Guide into your phone. Considering that youre likely taking your phone out in the field with you, this means you carry around a massive field guide with absolutely no weight added. The compare feature is a great learning and teaching tool as well. I frequently use it when I am leading field trips to explain subtle differences to field trip participants. It is easy to use and elegant. The only detraction would be that the Sibley Guide lacks much in the way of explanatory or background text. What text is present is very brief; however, this is a complaint with the Sibley Guide in general rather than the app. Those who use and enjoy the Sibley guides to birds will find little lost between the books and the apps and much to be gained: more frequent taxonomy updates, a library of birdsongs and the capacity to limit your options to a particular state or province.

There should be an option for more than one list. This would allow: life, year, and state lists all convieniently in one simple place. Other than that its great

I do wonder why, when I have "All" selected and look under "Ducks", Canvasback doesnt show up.

I am a field biologist and cannot rely on this app for uncommon birds or most neotropical migrant in South Texas. Some of the ducks (Whistling ducks) are missing. Many more need to be added.