Good explanation Matt.
I also have Sibley and ibird Pro and like them both.
Mary L. Warren
Wildlife Communications Specialist
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
13229 W. State Route 2
Oak Harbor, OH 43449
419-898-0960 #31
FAX: 419-898-4017
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Keep the WILD in Ohio, learn how you can help @ wildohiostamp.com
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in
order."
John Burroughs
-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Matt Erickson
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 10:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: bird apps
Here is a post I sent out earlier in the year:
I have a love for birds and for iPhone apps! So that means I have used
most of the birding apps out there ... here are my thoughts for what it
is worth: 1. Audubon Apps - I was the most excited when I saw these and
the most disappointed after using them. There are free versions of all
the Audubon apps that include a small sample set of each type, like 10
birds or 10 trees. I have only used the free versions. These seem much
more artistic than diagnostic. Very pretty pictures of the trees for
instance ... with no close ups of the leaves or the bark. Not very
helpful to me. 2. Sibley Bird App - The content is exactly what you
expected. Great transition of the Sibley book into an app. It has two
bonus features that I LOVE ... first there are 3-5 song clips for each
bird. This is very useful for playing in the field and trying to figure
out what bird is calling. Also, you can select two birds to compare at
one time. Especially in landscape mode this is really useful to compare
tw o closel y related birds visually. Sibley includes several
illustrations for each bird, adults, immatures, male/females, he pretty
much covers all the options. So being able to compare first year gulls
against each other is cool. The illustrations are not "zoomable" but in
landscape mode fill the screen so as not to even need to zoom. 3.
National Geographic Handheld Birds - I think this app was ported over
from the old Palm app that National Geographic used to sell as is ... it
just feels old. This app also includes songs. I love the Nat Geo books
because of the beautiful AND diagnostic artwork. The iPhone app seems to
have very old artwork ... and is not very good quality. On my iPhone4
with the "Retina" display the illustrations are small and show
pixilation and make you want to zoom in to see the bird. But the
illustrations are not "zoomable". 4. iBird - There is a free version of
this one but I use the "Pro" version. The first thing you see when you
select a bird is an illustratio n. Which generally aren't diagnostic
to the level that Sibley is ... i think the pictures are donated by
artists who don't get paid for their use. There are generally a couple
of illustrations covering several plumages ... but again not to the
level of Sibley. The real value of the iBird app is the additional
information and links it provides. Songs, pictures, link to Birdpedia
(need web access), interesting facts, Ecology (the IUCN Red List
ratings?), a zoomable illustration, link to Flickr for more photos!, and
a list of similar birds. iBird also has a neat search feature ... You
can put in data for one or all of these features; Location (common),
Location (uncommon), Shape, Size, Habitat, Color Primary, Color
Secondary, Backyard feeder, Family, Conservation Status, Observed
State/Month, Song, Song Pattern, Body Length, Body Weight, Wing shape,
Flight pattern, tail shape, wingspan, leg color, head pattern, breast
pattern, belly pattern, back pattern, crown color, forehead color, ce
re color , throat color, nape color, eye color, bill shape, bill length,
ear tufts, game bird and order. Sounds overwhelming? Here is an example
... put in Color Primary as Yellow and Observed State and Month as Ohio
and April you get 6 matches: Common Yellowthroat, Prairie, Prothonotary,
Yellow warblers and Yellow-breasted Chat and Yellow-throated vireo. Note
... all apps have range maps, and some way to record a life list. iBird
has notes. (Side note about me ... I like photos better than
illustrations for bird guides. That is just me ... I know this is a
religious thing for some people ... that is just me. When I carried a
"real" book I loved Kenn Kaufman's book for just that reason!) Here is
what I do in the field now ... I go to Sibley first, for songs, and
diagnostic illustrations. If there is still a question I go to iBird and
look at the included pictures, then follow the Flickr link to more
pictures. Warning about Flickr ... not everyone who puts names to
pictures on Flickr i s always correct! Hope that helps! Let me know if
you have any questions ... or know of one I missed! Side note ... I also
use BirdsEye. BirdsEye connects to the Cornell eBird database and shows
you recent sights of birds and helps you find good places to bird in an
area. I just got it so I haven't traveled with it yet ... but I hope it
will lead me to some good birds! You can't post eBird sightings through
it yet though. Thanks! Matt
--
Matt Erickson
Sent with Sparrow (http://www.sparrowmailapp.com/?sig)
On Friday, October 7, 2011 at 6:17 AM, richard banish wrote:
> finally made the move to a smartphone.
>
> i couldn't find the posts from a while back
> when fellow birders talked about their likes
> and dislikes of various birding apps for smartphones.
>
> your opinions will be appreciated.
>
> buster
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______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional
discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
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