# BWP — Birds of Western Palearctic > Definitive reference app for birding and ornithology in the Western Palearctic. (iPhone/iPad app by NatureGuides Ltd..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bwp/id1451326170 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [NatureGuides Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/310574314) - Category: Reference, Books - Price: $35.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 25 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.5 · 3.3 GB - Languages: American English - Released: 2020-06-20 - Data updated: 2026-09-07 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bwp/id1451326170/reviews.md ## What is BWP? Birds of the Western Palearctic – BWP – is the definitive reference for everyone with a serious interest in birding and ornithology. Fifteen years ago we published all 11 printed volumes on DVD-ROM. Now we have fully overhauled this renowned BWPi for iOS and macOS. We have refreshed the design, breathed new life into the plates, added a comprehensive video library, integrated unique breeding birds content and updated taxonomy with new species and splits. Comprehensive coverage of every species that regularly occurs in the region, with sections on Field Characters, Habitat, Breeding, Distribution, Population, Movements, Social Pattern and Behaviour, Voice, Food, Plumages, Moults, Measurements and Geographical Variation. The app covers every species known to have occurred within the region, and we will be updating the app as new species occur (latest is Horned Puffin!). BWP integrates with Collins Bird Guide app so that you can switch between the two seamlessly. • 1,056 species covered • 5,473 illustrations • 1,066 songs and calls • 916 videos • 643 distribution maps • 10,176 photos of breeding stages • 1,557 line drawings showing behaviour • 288 life cycle diagrams • 2,446 tables • 37,690 references • 5,250,000 words of text! • Species names are translated into 25 languages The distribution and population data have not been updated since BWP was originally published, and some species have changed significantly since then. Compare species is available on iPad only. ## Key features - 1,056 species covered - 5,473 illustrations - 1,066 songs and calls - 916 videos - 643 distribution maps - Updated taxonomy and new species ## Recent user reviews (10 of 25) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bwp/id1451326170/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Incredible and fascinating detail… *2026-06-28, version 1.3.10* I’m not a birder but I love filming nature and wildlife and usually if I’m able to ID a bird my next thing is to have all kinds of questions about when they breed, how many times a year, who feeds the young, where they migrate from, if they form a longer lasting bond, how long the fledglings hang around and that is usually beyond the scope of your average birding app, but those plus a gazillion other questions are answered in this wonderful app. I love it!! ### 5/5 — Execellent *2026-05-17, version 1.3.10* Amazing to get all nine volumes in one app. Features like breeding and moult is excellent plus having videos and photos are great. Very good you get the location with which helps when understanding the taxonomic changes. Some of the identification is dated but it was published (the first volume) many decades ago and knowledge has changed massively. With getting the Collins guide to work as a pair ### 4/5 — Bonne application, perfectible *2025-11-13* Dommage que l’anglais soit la seule langue de cette application, trop peu souvent mise à jour. Bons points pour la taxonomie ! ### 1/5 — Abandoned App? *2024-05-06, version 1.3.9* Bug reported over 5 months ago and allegedly fixed and awaiting release. Since then no reply to e-mails, no fix, nothing. Other apps claim supported by BWP (eg Life List) but they aren't, presumably needing an update that never happens. Suspect abandoned. Shame as it has lots of great info and potential. ### 5/5 — Amazing value *2023-08-17, version 1.3.7* Amazing value for any serious birder. Though out of print used volumes are still popular, but the weight and the shelf space! ### 4/5 — BWPi si back *2023-08-05* A good edition of BWPi here, with songs and videos. It is a shorter version and that needs more stability too (screen regularly frozen on ios14). It would be great (and a plus for such a numeric Edition) to have a search function to look for key words or mentions within the text. A bit disappointed for this prize ! ### 5/5 — Quel fabuleux outil *2022-11-07* Quel fabuleux outil que ce BWP informatisé pour l'ornithologue, débutant ou confirmé! Dommage que l'essentiel de l'information ne soit pas traduit en français, ce qui limite forcément son audience. ### 5/5 — Great portable reference *2021-07-16* The app is superb on my iPad. On the iPhone, it had initially difficulty loading in spite of there being ample space on the phone. Once it loaded, it provides a very useful reference. I very highly recommend it. Now I have a full reference to European birds, which I can carry even when I would never carry a paper volume. As a small improvement, it would be very useful to be able to search for birds in any language (eg in scientific /Latin) independently from the language chosen for visualization. I would be thrilled if there were a similar app for the US; there I have the Sibley but I like more the layout of this app. **Developer response:** It sounds like you may have run out of space to load it. Please make sure you have at least 8GB of free space for the installation (it's less than that when loaded), restart your device, attach to your best possible wifi and try again. ### 1/5 — No longer the book it was for bird sounds *2021-05-29, version 1.2.1* For bird sound enthusiasts and noc mig enthusiasts this ap is a big disappointment. The original books with Joan Hall-Craggs, PAD Hollom and Patrick Seller all leading experts in bird vocalisations were the definitive handbook for this subject. Bird guides have systematically destroyed this side of the work. The sonograms have been eliminated, the original sounds that the texts were based on have been discarded. At different times they have introduced different collections of sounds (Roche etc) that have little connection to the original. There is no connection to the original recordings held by the British Library. With some work this could have been a scientific masterpiece for sound enthusiasts instead it’s a huge disappointment. ### 5/5 — Essential for birders *2021-04-09, version 1.1* Absolutely brilliant to have this essential resource on the Mac. Fifth star will be awarded when I can increase the font size!! Update - it is a menu option for the main text! CMD and "=". Awarding the fifth star now and assuming this feature will be added to the species list :) ## Frequently asked questions about BWP ### What is BWP? BWP (Birds of Western Palearctic) is a definitive reference application for birding and ornithology. It offers comprehensive data on every species regularly occurring in the region, including detailed sections on field characters, habitat, breeding, and behavior. ### What kind of content does BWP include? BWP includes 1,056 species, 5,473 illustrations, 1,066 songs and calls, 916 videos, 643 distribution maps, and extensive text covering plumages, moults, measurements, and more. It also features 10,176 photos of breeding stages and 288 life cycle diagrams. ### Is BWP available on multiple devices? Yes, BWP is supported on macOS, iPhone, and iPad. The 'Compare species' feature is specifically available on iPad only. ### How often is BWP updated? The app was last updated on July 12, 2024, with version 1.3.10. The developer plans to update the app as new species occur within the region. ### Does BWP integrate with other birding apps? Yes, BWP integrates with the Collins Bird Guide app, allowing users to switch seamlessly between the two applications for a more comprehensive birding experience. ### What is the price of BWP? BWP is a paid application priced at $35.99. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned for this app. ### What is the age rating for BWP? BWP has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users interested in birds and ornithology. ### Does BWP have ads? No, BWP does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application designed to provide an uninterrupted reference experience. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.3.10 — 2024-07-12 We've fixed several bugs, including the app opening to the Mute Swan on launch. ### 1.3.9 — 2023-11-26 Several bug and content fixes. ### 1.3.8 — 2023-11-21 We've updated the links to the new Third Edition of the Collins Bird Guide, and fixed various bugs. ### 1.3.7 — 2023-04-27 Fixed several issues with species maps and the full taxonomy. ### 1.3.6 — 2023-04-17 Fixed an issue with the full taxonomy. ## Apps similar to BWP | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Dragonfly Id Britain & Europe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragonfly-id-britain-and-europe/id1574437346) | — | $24.99 | Reference | | [Birds in Greenspaces](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birds-in-greenspaces/id6754637798) | — | Free | Reference | | [ID UK insects](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id-uk-insects/id6747817906) | — | Free | Reference | | [iKnow Birds PRO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iknow-birds-pro/id947434163) | 4.0 (33) | Free | Reference | | [BTO Ringing & NRS Info](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bto-ringing-and-nrs-info/id466711615) | — | Free | Reference | | [Where to Watch Birds Scotland](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/where-to-watch-birds-scotland/id1456351759) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Reference | ## More apps by NatureGuides Ltd. - [British & Irish Butterflies](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/british-and-irish-butterflies/id310574311) - [The Elements by Theodore Gray](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elements-by-theodore-gray/id364147847) - [Birds of Northern Europe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birds-of-northern-europe/id377591383) - [Solar System for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-for-ipad/id406795422) - [Birds of Brazil](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birds-of-brazil/id411679602) - [The Waste Land](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-waste-land/id427434046) All apps by NatureGuides Ltd.: https://appshunter.io/developer/310574314 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-07.*