Comparison

Audubon Bird Guide vs Raptor ID

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Audubon Bird Guide

Identify North American birds with this comprehensive field guide. Features include a bird ID tool based on observations, detailed species information with photos and audio, and a personal sightings log. Discover nearby birding locations and connect with conservation efforts.

Highlights
  • Bird identification tool
  • Detailed species profiles
  • Bird song and call audio
  • Sightings log and life list
  • Nearby birding hotspots
  • Photo sharing
Features
Read full description

The Audubon Bird Guide is a free and complete field guide to over 800 species of North American birds, right in your pocket. Built for all experience levels, it will help you identify the birds around you, keep track of the birds you’ve seen, and get outside to find new birds near you. With over 2 million downloads to date, it is one of the best and most trusted field guides for North American birds. KEY FEATURES: ALL-NEW: BIRD ID It's now easier than ever to identify a bird you just saw. Enter all you were able to observe—what color was it? How big? What did its tail look like?—and Bird ID will narrow down a list of possible matches for your location and date in real time. LEARN ABOUT THE BIRDS YOU LOVE Our field guide features over 3,000 photos, over eight hours of audio clips of songs and calls, multi-season range maps, and in-depth text by leading North American bird expert Kenn Kaufman. KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE BIRDS YOU SEE With our completely redesigned Sightings feature, you can keep a record of every bird you encounter, whether you're hiking, sitting on the porch, or simply catching a glimpse of birds out the window. We'll even keep an updated life list for you. EXPLORE THE BIRDS AROUND YOU See where the birds are with nearby birding hotspots and real-time sightings from eBird. SHARE PHOTOS Post your photos to the Photo Feed so other Audubon Bird Guide users can see your best bird shots. GET INVOLVED WITH AUDUBON Keep up with the latest news from the world of birds, science, and conservation. Find an Audubon location near you to go birding. Or see where your voice is needed and take action to protect birds and the places they need, right from your app. Have any questions or need help? Contact us at audubonconnect@audubon.org About Audubon: The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive.

About

Raptor ID

This app provides expert-level identification for North America's diurnal raptors. It features nearly 1000 annotated photos and videos to help users identify birds in flight, catering to both beginners and experienced birdwatchers.

Highlights
  • 1000+ annotated photos
  • Identification videos in flight
  • Range maps with eBird links
  • Species vocalizations
  • Expert Q&A forum
Features
Read full description

The first raptor identification app designed for mobile devices; "HawkWatch International's Identification Guide to Raptors" puts expert hawk identification content in the palm of your hand. In this guide to North America's 34 species of diurnal raptors, you'll find nearly 1000 annotated photos, and cutting edge identification video for each species, geared toward helping you identify raptors in flight. If you're just getting started with birding, this app covers the basics; if you're already an expert hawk watcher, this app covers all the variation that can lead to identification confusion, even among the most seasoned birders. • Developed by HawkWatch International in partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology • Comprehensive identification content created by Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan • ~1000 annotated photos covering plumage, age/sex, and geographic variation • Cutting edge ID-focused video showing each species in flight, including voice-over ID tips from Jerry Liguori • Range maps with links to interactive seasonal eBird maps • Vocalizations for each species • 'Ask the authors' raptor ID question forum

Screenshots

Audubon Bird Guide4 screens
Raptor ID4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Audubon Bird Guide at every 3 weeks against Raptor ID's every 5 months. Audubon Bird Guide also leads on ratings volume (4.5K vs 44). Raptor ID's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 64%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Raptor ID holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Audubon Bird Guide has 4.5K ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Audubon Bird Guide's written reviews are positive against 84% of Raptor ID's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Audubon Bird Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, Raptor ID every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Audubon Bird Guide versus Raptor ID: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAudubon Bird GuideRaptor ID
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4.5K ratings)4.5 (44 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews83.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.5K — better44
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size358 MB766 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNational Audubon SocietyHawkWatch International

Customer experience

Audubon Bird Guide

All ratings4,519 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral4.1%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews238 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative29.4%

Raptor ID

All ratings44 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral3.2%
Negative12.9%

Bugs and requests

Audubon Bird Guide

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening settings
  • Incorrect sighting location recording
  • Unreliable login and account features
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • Syncing and data loss problems

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add photo ID and sound ID features
  • Improve location-based bird sightings
  • Expand coverage to more regions/countries
  • Allow offline access to field guide
  • Provide more detailed bird information
Show 2 more
  • Improve sorting and filtering options
  • Sync sightings with other platforms

Raptor ID

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Audubon Bird Guide

No in-app purchases

None

Raptor ID

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Audubon Bird Guide free?
Audubon Bird Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Raptor ID free?
Raptor ID is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Audubon Bird Guide or Raptor ID?
Raptor ID is rated higher. Audubon Bird Guide averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Raptor ID averages 4.5 from 44 ratings.
Do Audubon Bird Guide or Raptor ID have ads?
Both Audubon Bird Guide and Raptor ID show ads.
Which is updated more often, Audubon Bird Guide or Raptor ID?
Audubon Bird Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, and Raptor ID every 5 months. Most recently, Audubon Bird Guide was updated on September 23, 2026 and Raptor ID on August 20, 2026.

Other comparisons