# Morcombe & Stewart Guide — To Birds of Australia > Comprehensive digital field guide for identifying Australian birds with calls and maps. (iPhone/iPad app by mydigitalearth.com.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morcombe-and-stewart-guide/id397979505 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [mydigitalearth.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/332205034) - Category: Reference, Books - Price: $18.99 - Rating: 3.50/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 77 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 450 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2010-10-21 - Data updated: 2026-08-27 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morcombe-and-stewart-guide/id397979505/reviews.md ## What is Morcombe & Stewart Guide? The foremost field guide to Australian birds is now available on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad with a comprehensive collection of bird calls. ** If you would like to experience the app check out The Michael Morcombe eGuide to the Birds of Australia LITE which is FREE and includes 59 species ** Michael Morcombe’s Field Guide to Australian Birds has been called the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds in the market today and now it is perfectly complimented by the eGuide which features: ● iPhone optimised controls – swipe to next or previous species, one-tap enlargement of an image and rotate the device (landscape) to enlarge an image completely (and fit the width of the screen). ● Over 3000 hi-res bird images covering over 790 bird species. ● Most bird species have a detailed distribution map showing any subspecies that occur. ● Detailed text descriptions of almost all bird species including songs and calls, measurements and breeding behaviour. ● Over 1800 carefully-selected and edited sound recordings for over 600 species. Many species are represented with multiple call examples showing the full range of vocalizations. ● The ability to compare any two images, maps, or sounds, side by side on the screen. The ability to filter by geographic location, so that you see only the species likely to occur in your location, and to further reduce the possibilities to usual or vagrant species in the selected area. ● A “Smart Search” that gives the ability to search by distinguishing features such as size, colour, physical features, habitat and exclude certain types of birds (eg. Passerines). ● A basic personal species list that stores your sightings saved to the device* (ability to upload list coming soon) ● A comprehensive help and introduction section to help you if you get stuck or don’t understand how a certain feature works. *Uninstalling/reinstalling the program will result in the loss of your list, it is recommended that you keep your own backup (master list) separate from the application. We invite all users to share their comments and ideas on our forum at www.mydigitalearth.com NB. This Application WILL ONLY work on an iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS V7.1 or higher NOT A NORMAL IPOD CLASSIC/NANO and the download is about 320MB. ## Key features - Over 3000 hi-res bird images - Detailed text descriptions - 1800+ sound recordings - Distribution maps - Side-by-side comparison - Smart search and filtering - Personal species list ## Chart rankings - #74 in Top Paid · Reference (US App Store) ## What do users think of Morcombe & Stewart Guide? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Great for IDing birds - 👍 Excellent illustrations - 👍 Useful bird calls - 👍 Smart search function - 👍 Good for beginners - 👍 Replaces field guides - 👍 Useful for outdoor people - 👍 Worth the money - 👍 Comprehensive database - 👍 Easy to use - 👍 Good for logging sightings - 👍 Location filtering **Cons** - 🐛 Search box cut off - 🐛 App needs update - 🐛 Inconsistent updates - 🐛 Missing some birds - 🐛 Unsupported - 🐛 Expensive for bugs - 🐛 Artwork sometimes off - 🐛 Not optimized for new iPhones - 🐛 Crashes consistently - 🐛 Bugs and glitches - 🐛 App stops working - 🐛 Display overlaps search - 🐛 Lost personal lists - 🐛 Poorly laid out logs - 🐛 Cannot delete single logs - 🐛 Sound not working - 🐛 Cannot import lists - 🐛 Gallery view missing on iPhone - 🐛 Artwork not always accurate - 🐛 UI poor for search - 🐛 Pictures not pinchable - 🐛 App scaled on iPad **Commonly reported bugs** - Search box cut off at the top - Information gets cut off at the top - Diagrams too close to the top - App will probably stop working soon - Species name and color code blocked by top menu bar - Search field covered by taxonomic index heading - Last update 4 years ago - App support link does not work - Missing a few birds - App crashes consistently when selecting some birds - Some birds cannot be selected - App takes to incorrect bird details - App constantly crashes - Annoying bugs - App selects random species instead of selected one - App plays wrong bird call - App stopped working after selecting for region - Cannot get out of region page - Gaps in the database - Cannot transfer bird lists between phones - Sound not working - App crashes when selecting some birds - Cannot select some birds - Incorrect bird details shown - App crashes - App freezes - Alphabetic and taxonomic lists fail to open - Cannot delete one log without deleting all logs for that bird - Check box birds you've seen doesn't work - Nothing is saved - Cannot find way to add more than one 'My List' - Full of bugs - List is empty after purchasing new phone - Cannot get into the app at all - Lost personal list and notes - Location won't work - Screen goes dark and returns to main screen - No gallery view on iPhone - No osprey in IOC update - Lack of bird species compared to book - Missing many birds - App hasn't been updated in THREE YEARS - Glitchy artefact - Cannot delete incorrect bird from list - Cannot import list - Warning box about side by side comparison displayed all the time - Search text not cleared when applying location filter - Illustrations not high quality - Coloration not always indicative of true colors - Search function data not checked for accuracy - Birds shown in Tasmania map not listed in search - Common species in Tasmania not listed as occurring in state - Does not clearly highlight differences between closely similar species - Doesn't save notes - Accidentally added bird incorrectly, had to delete list and start again - App crashes a little bit - Frequent crashes & freezing - Lost whole list after upgrade - Illustrations can be less 'true to life' - Smart search is horrible - Poor UI with check boxes and scroll wheels - Pictures not pinchable for zoom - App is iPhone only - App has to be scaled on iPad **Most requested features** - Add actual photos - Fix species distribution map display - Add a tick system for seen species - Match heard calls to database - Ability to import/export lists - Sync lists between devices - Add own bird photos - Improve 'My List' layout - Allow deletion of single logs - Add more birds to database - Improve search functionality - Add similar species comparison - Sync lists between devices (cloud storage) - Support for recent iPhones/iOS - Add Regent Bowerbird to app - Highlight differences between similar species - Ability to see pictures and sounds from 'My List' - Offer list of calls in search - Select main colors in smart find - iPad version ## Recent user reviews (10 of 77) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morcombe-and-stewart-guide/id397979505/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Ok *2026-08-02* The search box gets cut off at the top as does some of the information. The diagrams are too close to the top of the page ### 2/5 — Runs fine… mostly *2026-04-28* This app is in dangerous need of an update and will probably stop working soon ### 4/5 — Essential for outdoor people *2026-03-14, version 1.5.2* I work as a hiking guide, and I find this app incredibly useful. It had helped me learn and ID all the central Australian birds that I'm new to. The only two improvements would be actual photos as well as the drawings. Sometimes I find it easier using Pizzey and Knight for this reason. Please also fix the photos of species distribution! I would include a screenshot if I could, but when you are viewing this map, sometimes a species name and colour code will be up in the top left and this will be blocked from view by the top menu bar (to ‘go back’, the ‘species name’, and ‘add bird’ bar). It’s been a minor issue the whole 5 years I’ve been using this app. All you need to do is move all the photos slightly down a few mm. ### 1/5 — Broken search bar *2025-10-26* It’s been years and the search field is still covered by the taxonomic index heading. So if you want to search for a bird you only get to see the bottom 3mm of the search text field. lol, it’s like a 3 year old designed it and didn’t do any testing or just doesn’t care cos they’ve got our money now. So many years and it’s still broken. What is the developer doing for such an expensive app? Avoid ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-08-28* This app is worth every penny . My partner and I have it on both our phones and we use it all the time . Love been able to play the bird calls too . ### 1/5 — Is this app still supported? *2025-08-10* The last update was 4 years ago & the app support link does not work. It begs the question as to whether this app is being supported any more? ### 2/5 — Missing birds *2025-07-11* Missing a few birds e.g. mallee ring neck found around Lightning Ridge. ### 4/5 — Idea tick system *2025-05-09* Great app ! It should be interesting to add a tick system for species we already seen. When you are a foreigner and you don't know all the species, it will be easier to find again species we have seen before. Like a tick system just next to species name in taxonomic index. Thanks ! ### 1/5 — Moorcomb’s &Stewart Guide Hopeless *2025-01-05* This Apple app does not find common birds like Ibis , owls etc - very disappointing James A Temlett ### 3/5 — Great App but infrequently updated *2024-07-26* Have been using this app for over 10years and its great excey It really needs more frequent updates as the species names have been revised & has some bugs on my iphone 12 mini where the display overlaps the search window and other issues. No updates for 3 years + now!!! ## Frequently asked questions about Morcombe & Stewart Guide ### What does the Morcombe & Stewart Guide app do? This app serves as a comprehensive digital field guide for identifying Australian birds. It provides high-resolution images, detailed descriptions of species including songs and calls, distribution maps, and the ability to compare different aspects of bird identification side-by-side. ### What are the key features of this bird guide app? Key features include over 3000 high-resolution images of more than 790 bird species, detailed text descriptions, over 1800 sound recordings for over 600 species, distribution maps, side-by-side comparison of images, maps, or sounds, smart search functionality, and location-based filtering. ### How much does the Morcombe & Stewart Guide app cost? The application is a paid app. There is a free 'LITE' version available that includes 59 species, allowing users to experience the app before purchasing the full version. ### What devices is the Morcombe & Stewart Guide app compatible with? This application is designed to work on iPhone or iPod Touch devices running iOS version 7.1 or higher. It is not compatible with older iPod models like the Classic or Nano. The download size is approximately 320MB. ### Can I save my bird sightings with this app? Yes, the app includes a basic personal species list that stores your sightings saved to the device. However, it is important to note that uninstalling or reinstalling the program will result in the loss of this list. Users are recommended to keep their own separate backup of their sightings. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.5.2 — 2021-02-02 Fixed a bug that caused the app to crash after selecting certain species. Updated app to latest iOS guidelines. ### 1.5.1 — 2020-05-06 Fixed a few issues with some species missing from the IOC index. Added What's New section. V1.5: Added IOC taxonomy switch to species index (found top right of Taxonomic Index screen), this will switch between the current Australian BirdLife taxonomy and the IOC taxonomy (for species currently in the app). Added IOC species names to species text descriptions. Updated some bird data. Added 142 new calls. Updated app for latest iOS devices. Fixed some bugs. ### 1.5 — 2020-04-06 Added IOC taxonomy switch to species index (found top right of Taxonomic Index screen), this will switch between the current Australian BirdLife taxonomy and the IOC taxonomy (for species currently in the app). Added IOC species names to species text descriptions. Updated some bird data. Added some new calls. Updated app for latest iOS devices. Fixed some bugs. ### 1.4.4 — 2016-11-07 Fixed a bug where My Location would not refresh. Updated a few calls. ### 1.4.2 — 2016-02-26 Changed the minimum supported iOS version to 7.1 to prevent an app crash in a future iOS update. Fixed a few bugs and errors. ## Apps similar to Morcombe & Stewart Guide | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merlin-bird-id-by-cornell-lab/id773457673) | 4.9 (111,272) | Free | Reference | | [Audubon Bird Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audubon-bird-guide/id333227386) | 4.3 (4,517) | Free | Reference | | [Picture Bird: Bird identifier](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picture-bird-bird-identifier/id1474586978) | 4.7 (39,822) | Free | Reference | | [Birda - Bird Watching, Birding](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birda-bird-watching-birding/id1564130920) | 4.7 (2,164) | Free | Reference | | [ChirpOMatic - BirdSong USA](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chirpomatic-birdsong-usa/id1233785633) | 4.6 (1,691) | Free | Reference | | [eBird](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebird/id988799279) | 3.8 (797) | Free | Reference | ## More apps by mydigitalearth.com - [Collins British Wildlife](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collins-british-wildlife/id335735711) - [The Kingdon Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-kingdon-guide/id336901877) - [eTrees of Southern Africa](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etrees-of-southern-africa/id342876705) - [Mammals of North America](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mammals-of-north-america/id456581570) - [eGuide to British Birds](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eguide-to-british-birds/id508710818) All apps by mydigitalearth.com: https://appshunter.io/developer/332205034 --- *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 2026-08-27.*