Audubon Bird Guide vs Merlin Bird ID

Struggling to choose between Audubon Bird Guide and Merlin Bird ID? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Audubon Bird Guide is a Education & Reference solution with tags like bird, identification, guide, photos, audio, range-maps.

It boasts features such as Over 800 species profiles with photos and ID tips, Life list and eBird integration, Range maps showing summer, winter, year-round ranges, Quiz mode to test your ID skills, Sound ID using spectrograms to match songs and calls, Side-by-side species comparison, Community feed showing recent observations, Customizable Watch List and Life List, Offline access once species are downloaded and pros including Comprehensive species profiles and photos aid identification, Audio recordings help learn bird songs and calls, Quizzes and sound ID help sharpen birding skills, eBird integration useful for serious birders, Shows recent observations from community, Works offline once data downloaded.

On the other hand, Merlin Bird ID is a Education & Reference product tagged with bird, ornithology, identification, bird-watching.

Its standout features include Identify over 400 North American bird species, Ask users a series of questions about the bird's appearance and sounds, Provides information on bird identification, habitat, and behavior, Includes a bird photo gallery and audio recordings of bird songs and calls, Offline access to bird data, Ability to save observations and share them with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and it shines with pros like Free to use, Comprehensive bird identification database, Easy-to-use interface, Developed by the respected Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Offline access to bird data.

Feature	Audubon Bird Guide	Merlin Bird ID
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Education & Reference	Education & Reference

Product Overview

Audubon Bird Guide

Description: The Audubon Bird Guide is a mobile app that helps identify over 800 species of North American birds. It includes high-quality photos, audio recordings, range maps, and more to aid in bird identification.

Merlin Bird ID

Description: Merlin Bird ID is a free bird identification app created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It helps identify over 400 North American bird species by asking users a series of questions about the bird's appearance and sounds.

Key Features Comparison

Audubon Bird Guide Features

• Over 800 species profiles with photos and ID tips
• Life list and eBird integration
• Range maps showing summer, winter, year-round ranges
• Quiz mode to test your ID skills
• Sound ID using spectrograms to match songs and calls
• Side-by-side species comparison
• Community feed showing recent observations
• Customizable Watch List and Life List
• Offline access once species are downloaded

Merlin Bird ID Features

• Identify over 400 North American bird species
• Ask users a series of questions about the bird's appearance and sounds
• Provides information on bird identification, habitat, and behavior
• Includes a bird photo gallery and audio recordings of bird songs and calls
• Offline access to bird data
• Ability to save observations and share them with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Pros & Cons Analysis

Audubon Bird Guide

Pros

• Comprehensive species profiles and photos aid identification
• Audio recordings help learn bird songs and calls
• Quizzes and sound ID help sharpen birding skills
• eBird integration useful for serious birders
• Shows recent observations from community
• Works offline once data downloaded

Cons

• Requires annual subscription after 7-day free trial
• Limited to North American species
• Some find user interface a bit clunky
• Occasional bugs reported with audio playback
• Requires downloading each species for offline access

Merlin Bird ID

Pros

• Free to use
• Comprehensive bird identification database
• Easy-to-use interface
• Developed by the respected Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Offline access to bird data

Cons

• Limited to North American bird species
• May not be as detailed or accurate as some paid bird identification apps
• Requires internet connection for some features

Pricing Comparison

Audubon Bird Guide

• Subscription-Based

Merlin Bird ID

• Free