With my Collins Field Guide getting more battered by the week I broke the budget to purchase the new App version for my iPhone. The book version is treated as the bible for us birders so to have this much information in your pocket and no additional weight can only be seen a great help when out in the field.
The lay out is very much like the book and I found it pretty easy to navigate. The main family group are all shown on the same home screen and if you tap once on selection you reach inside that group showing the bird selected group, two taps takes you to the actual birds profile whilst 3 taps takes you to the detailed illustrations.
The individual birds page gives us illustrations, full description, calls and video clip (these not available for all birds). If you don't have the BTO Atlas you can purchase additional maps at £1.99.
The search function works very well despite odd comments I'd heard from other birders. I've now used it many times when out in the field. The ability to search by size, colour, habitat and many more option is another great feature.
The price of £12.99 is expensive if you don't use it however when you consider you have the best field guide available in your pocket at no extra weight then it's a must have.
My only issue is the file size of 669 MB which takes up plenty of memory on the phone. When Apple have issued IOS updates I've had to remove the App and then install again once the software update has finished. In summary you are going to have less space on your phone for music, video or apps.
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