One of the great things about bird books is their propensity to inspire kids to take an interest in birds and nature. Nate, of The Drinking Bird Blog, takes a great look at one of the books that influenced him as a child.
I don’t remember the exact titles, but I loved looking through some books that my grandparents and first teacher had. They definitely helped nurture a love for nature in me. Were there any such books that influenced you as a child?
Here are lots of bird book reviews for your perusal…
(a children’s book)
March 5, 2012
by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, and David A. Christie
The greatest series of bird books ever comes to an end. Or does it…
David Sibley reported on his blog some news regarding his Sibley eGuide app, including a price drop and free “lite” version. Check it out!
by George R. Angehr and Robert Dean
The go-to field guide for this amazing birding destination.
February 22, 2012
by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp
The go-to field guide for this birdy region.
Here are some new bird apps for iPhones and Android devices, including what’s probably the two most highly anticipated functions. I haven’t had the chance to use these much (yet!), so I can’t speak to how well they work. I’ll post updates as soon as possible.
BirdsEye Bird Log
Birders have been eager for a way to enter eBird checklists from the field. Finally, here’s a way! Bird Log is an app that will allow you to create and submit checklists directly from a mobile device. It is currently available for Android phones, with an iPhone version available soon. I, for one, am very much looking forward to having this capability.
idIt
This app, for the iPhone and related devices only, claims to be able to ID bird sounds in the field. This highly wanted functionality has been announced before, but as far as I know, this is the first app to claim to deliver. The main catch is that you have to first load it with your own prerecorded sounds (like from bird song CDs). If it works, it will be a great tool for birders.
Bird Codes
This app allows you to quickly look up the bird for any alpha (banders’) codes you come across, or to learn codes by searching on the birds’ name. Very handy if you find yourself using these codes often.
Lifebirds Journal
An app for recording bird sightings. It includes all of the world’s birds, as well as options to export lists, including to eBird.
Birding Trails Texas: Prairies, Pineywoods, and Panhandle
by Jim Foster
From the publisher (Wilderness Adventures Press):
Texas is one of the outstanding birding states, with over 400 species of birds. Texas Birding Trails features 220 birding trails and locations. Jim Foster, a noted birder, describes each trail with a list of key birds, the best time of year to visit the site, directions, terrain and size of the area, and complete directions to each trail. There are over 200 full-color photos of the key species of birds and over 30 trail maps and a birder’s check list.
The Panhandle has 51 birding sites with a number of key birds: Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Sandhill Crane, Scissor-tail Flycatcher, Pyrrhuloxia, Burrowing Owl as well as 20 species of ducks and many more birds.
The Prairies and Pineywoods – West has 90 trails or sites with many key birds such as the Spotted Towhee, Yellow-throated Vireo, Tundra Swan, Bewick’s Wren, Orchard Oriole, the Western Kingbird and many more.
The Prairies and Pineywoods -East has 79 birding trails and an opportunity to see the Pileated Woodpecker, Red-shouldered Hawk, Greater Roadrunner, Red-eyed Vireo, Greater-crested Flycatcher and many more.
Texas Birding Trails is a “must” book for both Texas and non-resident birders who want to see and record the many unusual birds.
This is an attractive and informative guide to some great birding spots.
Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico
by Judy Liddell and Barbara Hussey
From the publisher (Texas A&M University Press):
From pine forest to desert scrub, from alpine meadow to riparian wetland, Albuquerque and its surrounding area in New Mexico offer an appealing variety of wildlife habitat. Birders are likely to see more than two hundred species during a typical year of bird-watching. Now, two experienced birders, Judith Liddell and Barbara Hussey, share their intimate knowledge of the best places to find birds in and around this important region.
Covering the Rio Grande corridor, the Sandia and Manzano Mountains, Petroglyph National Monument, and the preserved areas and wetlands south of Albuquerque (including crane and waterfowl haven Bosque del Apache), Birding Hotspots of Central New Mexico offers twenty-nine geographically organized site descriptions, including maps and photographs, trail diagrams, and images of some of the birds and scenery birders will enjoy. Along with a general description of each area, the authors list target birds; explain where and when to look for them; give driving directions; provide information about public transportation, parking, fees, restrooms, food, and lodging; and give tips on availability of water and picnic facilities and on the presence of hazards such as rattlesnakes, bears, and poison ivy.
The book includes a “helpful information” section that discusses weather, altitude, safety, transportation, and other local birding resources. The American Birding Association’s code of birding ethics appears in the back of the book, along with an annotated checklist of 222 bird species seen with some regularity in and around Albuquerque.
For more information, please visit http://birdinghotspotscentralnm.com
A very detailed guide that I can’t wait to use someday!
Birding Trails Texas: Prairies, Pineywoods, and Panhandle
by Jim Foster
Paperback; 392 pages
Wilderness Adventures Press; December 1, 2011
ISBN: 9781932098907
$28.95
Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico
by Judy Liddell and Barbara Hussey
Flexicover; 221 pages
Texas A&M University Press; October 12, 2011
ISBN: 9781603444262
$24.95
by Guy M. Kirwan and Graeme Green
Some of the most beautiful and amazing birds in the world. One of the most attractive and best family guides I’ve seen.
February 9, 2012
Larkwire is a website devoted to helping birders learn bird songs. You access it from your computer or web-enabled mobile device, just like any other website (no native mobile apps yet, but they are working on it).
I haven’t used Larkwire enough to give an in-depth review and recommendation. So in this initial review, I just want to show what it’s all about and give some preliminary thoughts.
The interface is designed to look like a mobile app, and works pretty well on the computer. It’s a little different on my iPhone, but I haven’t used it enough on that device to get a feel for it there. You can browse and play any song in the collection, but the main feature of Larkwire is the games.
Larkwire's main screen
In the first, the “Gallery game”, you are presented with four birds from the group(s) you have chosen to focus on. The purpose of the game is to hear the difference between similar-sounding birds. The game will play a sound, and you try to match the bird. Larkwire’s sound library includes multiple tracks for each species, so you have much more than four songs to listen to in each gallery game. You can’t think “Oh, it’s already played a robin, so this has to be something else.”
Gallery game
After the round is done the site will present your results, along with a recommendation on how to proceed. Larkwire will keep track of what you have done and will even adjust to your learning pace and style.
Gallery game results
The other game is designed to mimic the experience of being in the field. It will play a song from the chosen group(s), but without any visual aide. You indicate whether you know it or aren’t sure, and the game will display the bird for confirmation.
It’s very flexible in that you can choose how many groups you want to be included. Want to focus on buzzy-sounding warblers? Select just that group. Want more variety? Choose them all. You can also select just certain birds from amongst the any of the groups.
Browsing the thrushes
It’s also customizable to your experience level. You can set it to beginner, intermediate, or advanced, with each including more challenging songs.
Larkwire is not a free site. You can demo it for free, but you have to buy “songpacks” in order to really use the site. The smallest of the packs contains the 25 most common land birds for your area and costs $3.95. If you want all the sounds (344 species in total), it’s $24.95. And there are a couple of choices in between.
Honestly, I wasn’t too sure how well Larkwire would work when I first tried it out. But after using it for a bit, I think it has a lot of promise. After an intensive session of robin-like songs, for example, I found that it became progressively easier to differentiate between the robin and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I’m really looking forward to spending more time with it. I’ve always had problems with some warbler songs, so I think I’ll focus on them next. After all, spring is approaching…
