# iBird Ultimate Guide to Birds — user reviews > 116 indexed App Store user reviews of iBird Ultimate Guide to Birds by Mitch Waite Group, rated 4.50/5 from 568 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibird-ultimate-guide-to-birds/id872771050/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibird-ultimate-guide-to-birds/id872771050.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 434 · 4★ 66 · 3★ 10 · 2★ 11 · 1★ 47 ## What do users think of iBird Ultimate Guide to Birds? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Great app for birding - 👍 Comprehensive information on birds - 🎨 Excellent photos and illustrations - 🔊 High-quality bird sounds - 🗺️ Useful location-based features - 💻 Replaces physical field guides **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes and bugs - 🔍 Search function needs improvement - 💰 Expensive, with in-app purchases - 🔀 Confusing updates and app versions - 🗣️ Poor customer support - 📱 Compatibility issues with newer devices **Commonly reported bugs** - User notes and lists disappearing after updates - Playback of bird sounds not working as expected - Crashes and freezes when using certain app features - Incorrect or outdated information for some bird species **Most requested features** - Ability to disable intrusive ads and banners - Improved syncing and backup of user data - More detailed information on female/juvenile bird appearances - Smaller search radius for location-based features - Comparison tool to view similar bird species side-by-side ## Newest reviews (10 of 116) ### 4/5 — Good app but no field journal *2026-03-21, version 13.3* The app is great for identifying birds and their calls, but no field journal. ### 4/5 — Great but a bit buggy! *2025-08-14* My fave bird app—just upgraded to Ultimate after years of iBird pro and was so happy that I could now clear the selected bird with the x instead of backspacing my way out. Mixed glee when I found that playback wants to start with the top listed sound instead of the one I select and most annoying it defaults to cycle thru the calls/songs of the selected bird. The app will eventually train me to check the cycle switch before I use playback but the bit about it choosing the first item on the playback menu knocks a star off my review. ### 4/5 — Great app with a few bugs *2025-01-28, version 13.3* Playing sounds, the app always starts with top-most sound regardless of which is selected. Not acceptable in some circumstances. Has lost personal notes with update. Overall a great app, despite bugs. ### 4/5 — Almost perfect! *2024-08-16* Absolutely wonderful. The only thing I noticed negative was that for identifying birds there are no markers for the females only the males. Other than that, I think this is probably the best birding app out there. ### 3/5 — Managing it isn’t a dream *2023-08-10, version 13.2* Love what’s in it, if I crawl thru each one. If I recall I want a Pileated Woodpecker vs Acorn then easy. I just have to know their names BEFORE using the app… If I want all Woodpeckers, no putting that in the search and getting it or red black and white either. Probably not doing something right as this would be a basic expectation. ### 5/5 — A clutch of resources *2023-07-30* I bought the original iBird app over a decade ago and just re-upped in this new ultimate version. For me the app is like nest filled with eggs. Each one is a complementary source of info to help in identifying birds. You can look through and browse quality full color illustrations (with our without notations on marking), look at photos within the app, or birdipedia or Flickr (great for showing individual or season variations), get nicely parsed info (range maps, environmental status, behavior, etc), listen to multiple recording of different calls for each species and more. One of these info “eggs” may be just the one you need in a certain situation and the are all connected by a powerful search function that lets you set dozens of parameters using location, physical attributes, time of year, etc. And the best thing is that you can access all the core features without having cell or Wi-Fi access as the major eggs are all downloaded to your phone. So it’s great in the field or for just being at home and browsing visitors to your house or armchair recalling of neat species seen on vacation that you added to your favorites list. This is what mobile tech is for quality, searchable on the go information. ### 2/5 — No backup/No support *2023-07-20* Update: I did hear from one support person who was going to check with the developers and try to find the list of species numbers. That was about a month ago. Used this app for years without any problems to keep yearly lists of backyard birds. The lists disappeared. The iCloud backup is a joke - documents don’t open correctly. Could only open them with Notepad - just a bunch of formatting and numbers. The numbers correspond to species on the iBird app - there is talk of a master list of birds/numbers - can’t find a copy because iBird site is down. Reached out to support twice - no response. Useless developers. ### 2/5 — No backup/No support *2023-06-13* Used this app for years without any problems to keep yearly lists of backyard birds. The lists disappeared. The iCloud backup is a joke - documents don’t open correctly. Could only open them with Notepad - just a bunch of formatting and numbers. The numbers correspond to species on the iBird app - there is talk of a master list of birds/numbers - can’t find a copy because iBird site is down. Reached out to support twice - no response. Useless developers. ### 5/5 — Fantastic reference *2023-05-31, version 13.2* We have been using this a lot as we have all kinds of birds around us It helped us identify the Golden Eagle that we couldn’t figure out what they were Thank you for a great app well worth what ever the cost ### 5/5 — Great app ! *2023-05-18* I always come back to a bird when I need to identify an unknown bird. The app has a few shortcomings, but it is, nevertheless, very useful. I just regret that the publisher has chosen to make it a subscription app from now on. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Worst developer on the App Store *2025-06-01* This app has been abandoned for three years. I originally paid $30 for it. I had to fight tooth and nail to get access to IBird pro after they abandoned this app. Then they switched IBird pro, a paid app, to a forced subscription about a year ago. They had no grandfathering in - which is what every other developer has done when they switch to subscription. I don’t know why they revived this app, but I do not trust them and implore you not to waste your money on this deceitful developer. ### 1/5 — Stopped working entirely *2024-10-16, version 13.3* At the top of the splash screen, the word “test” appears and the program won’t load. Someone messed up big time. Please fix it. You made us pay multiple times for multiple versions already. ### 1/5 — Useless *2024-01-20, version 13.3* Had this app for years. Now my lists, favorites, have all vanished. App won’t even do a search. Turned into complete junk. Don’t suppose I can get my money back. ### 1/5 — Confused *2023-10-02, version 13.2* I bought iBird pro iBird ultimate then iBird pro again not sure. The reality is I paid for and would like the apps that I originally bought to work and now the developer has moved to a repeat you must buy a subscription. Too bad I can’t access the original apps I paid for years ago. Bye bye ### 1/5 — Lost life bird lists *2023-09-22, version 13.2* Loved iBird ultimate for years until an update cause my life list to vanish. The data is still there but I have no way to access it. I have sent several emails beginning in May 2023 and have received no attempts of helping me to recover my lists. Customer service is apparently non-existent as all phone numbers go directly to unanswered voicemails also ### 1/5 — Class Action Lawsuit *2023-06-19, version 13.2* Is there an attorney out there who can start a class action lawsuit against the iBird company for stealing away this app that I had purchased outright previously, and that they now demand I pay for again in a continuing subscription form? ### 1/5 — IBird ultimate June 2023 update *2023-06-15, version 13.2* Awful!!! New update dropped all my notes with hundreds of local sightings etc. And it won’t let me log in. The last “help” recommendation is 5 years old. While I doubt it would be helpful, I can’t even look at it since I can’t login. This app is not worth $20 if it only works every now and then. ### 1/5 — The Best Bird App Gone Bad *2023-05-27* This was a pricey app but it was the best so I didn’t mind paying $25-30 to upgrade to ultimate it. Then they came out with photo sleuth, which has been my go to and I think is better than Merlin Bird Identifier. Then I made the mistake of updating the app. Now everything I have paid for has been granted me “free” for one year and then is a paid subscription. Since I did not buy the app with the agreement of a subscription but as a straight-out purchase(s), it would be nice to have my purchase price refunded. I will miss using this app as it was pretty good. If anyone knows which birding app has the best photo ID, I would love to know so I could purchase that one. ### 1/5 — Terrible support/bad developer *2023-05-25* Over the years I have had to pay twice for IBird because the developer decided to drop support for my original version and gave no path to upgrading otherwise. New version was little changed from previous version. Then developer put out no updates - not even bug fixes for 3 years. Now developer is back with a new version that has little that is new - except for a new subscription model to get customers to pay for same thing yet again. And again, no grandfathering (other than one “free” year) for existing customers. Fool me once…. Not going to be fooled a second time. Buyer beware!! Besides there are more reputable alternatives without the subscription - ones that actually receive timely updates. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!! ### 1/5 — Ripped me off *2023-05-12, version 13.2* I purchased iBird ultimate a couple of years ago which included photo sleuth. The update that just came out removed photo sleuth from my app. I bought and paid for it and they removed it. I WANT MY MONEY BACK! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Tremendous app! *2026-06-02* I have had this app for years. Happily purchased it a long time ago while I believe it was in its infancy. It is very comprehensive with a LOT of information that I have not yet seen in books. I would gladly purchase all Mitch’s stuff, and I hope he will one day come out with an app on all the birds of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, pretty much everywhere! It is my hope and desire to have a complete reference app/guide to ALL the birds of the world. I have no idea why no one has put an app together quite like Mitch’s. I have not seen its kind in the App Store at all. Please, Mitch, please make another app or two on the birds of other continents. **Developer response:** Thank you for your incredible support and for being with iBird since the early days! We're honored that you find the app so comprehensive and useful, and it's especially rewarding to hear it compares favorably to traditional field guides. Your enthusiasm for expanding iBird to cover birds from around the world is appreciated and has certainly been shared by other birders as well. We'll be sure to pass your encouragement along to Mitch. Thank you for being part of the iBird community, and happy birding wherever your adventures take you! ### 5/5 — Unsupported *2026-01-18* Still selling unsupported apps when a newer version is available, don’t make my mistake and buy this. ### 5/5 — Love it *2026-01-18, version 13.3* This app is great is amazing for bird watching ### 5/5 — Excellent Guide *2025-05-12* I’ve always had a fascination with birds, and even as a young man had field guides that were very useful nevertheless, I always came up a little short in learning what I really wanted to learn about birds. For example, I always wanted to be able to identify them by their song and I was never able to do that. Now with iBird Ultimate I’ve already begun to see birds, hear birds, and then listen to the sound in the app and memorize it making me now able to finally begin to name birds just by hearing their song excellent guide; highly recommend. **Developer response:** Hi, So "Buzzard" is a nick name (in North America) for the Turkey Vulture and the Black vulture. Those birds are in the app, check them out to see if that is what you were observing. :-) ### 5/5 — Best Birding App *2025-03-30, version 13.3* None Better! ### 5/5 — Field Kit Replacement *2025-01-07, version 13.3* This app is good. It has replaced the National Geographic Field Guide and in so doing has reduced the weight of my field kit by a couple of pounds. ### 5/5 — The review *2024-12-23* Great app has used it over 5 years now and it’s super helpful ### 5/5 — Essential Birding Tool *2024-09-22, version 13.3* Wonderful birding app. I have recommended it to countless folks over the years. It’s especially compelling to the young bird enthusiasts and those just becoming acquainted with the avian world. A must have app for any nature lover at a steal of a price. I love my bird books and this app is a multidimensional companion to them. Happy birding! ### 5/5 — Good information *2023-09-30, version 13.2* I use this quite frequently. Lots of information on each bird. ### 5/5 — Great app I use it all the time *2023-09-27, version 13.2* I completely agree with Aerohead tw --- *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 2026-09-01.*