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Essential Apps and Media for Birding...What Are They?? (1 Viewer)

M

MUHerd

Well-known member
Hey all,

I am new here and wanting to start birding. I have a degree in Zoology, but I didn't get to focus on birds at all. Now that I am interested in starting, I wish I would've.

What I'd like to know is what media and/or Apps do you all have that you consider to be essential for all Birders to have? Do you carry an Audubon Field Guide with you when you go Birding? Are there any apps that have the birds of North America or Texas that I should have on my Iphone?

I would assume those of you that are serious about Birding would carry a nice field notebook and pen to record the info for the day, where you went and what you saw.

What can you recommend that I get that will help me get started in ID'ing the birds that I am going to see here in the Houston area? What do you have that you find helps you out a lot?

Thanks for your time and any help you care to give me.

Larry
 
No Apps are essential - birders have got along without them perfectly successfully for the last 300 years, and can still do now :t:

Books - yes, they are essential. For the USA, you want to get the Sibley Guide and the National Geographic Guide. Read them cover to cover, and memorise the details.

PS Welcome to Birdforum!
 
Thanks for the info....

On the Nat Geo stuff....which one are you recommending? There's the "Bird Watchers Bible," "Field Guide to North American Birds," or the comprehensive "Complete Birds of North America"?

WHEW.....LOTS of info there to comprehend.

I asked about APPS cause there seems to be an awful lot of resources available in APP form. The Sibley Guide is available as an APP. There are several other Bird related apps too. It just seems easier to carry along with you instead of a book. I can see having the books though. I still like to have a book in my hands rather than my Kindle Fire.

Thanks again.
 
The best 'app' around comes in the form of other birders so try to join your local group or get to know someone who can mentor you.
 
I agree that apps are very useful. The Sibley app is the best for North America and you should definitely get it. Ibird is also quite good, although the illustrations and texts aren't as good as Sibley and the recordings are generally of lower quality. It has photos though, and can work as a useful addition to the Sibley app.
 
Another vote for the Sibley app which I consult far more often nowadays than the paper version (even though the latter's more up-to-date).
 
I"m bias (I'm the creator) but you've got to try EyeLoveBirds. It's a birding app for the new generation of birders who want crisp, full resolution photos, high usability and complete sets of data (ie full bird lists for an area). I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think!
 
MUHerd said:
I would assume those of you that are serious about Birding would carry a nice field notebook and pen to record the info for the day, where you went and what you saw.
Click to expand...
Absolutely - IMO the most important piece of equipment (other than appropriate clothing and provisions, of course). There are folks who don't keep lists, which isn't wrong, but you never know whether you might want to keep a life list of sorts, or other records, in the future, so I find it best to keep good field records, particularly of species that you encounter for the first time (you might want to note details on the latter, not just the names like I used to do when I was young and foolish); they'll also help improve your skill.
 
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