I have been recording bird audio for a while now and I am looking to up my game with an external microphone. I have found very little information online, however, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of shotgun and parabolic setups. I was wondering if any of you audio lovers out there could provide me with both what setup you use (microphone model, recorder model, etc), and the pros and cons of shotgun and parabolic microphones. Thanks!
Well, it depends on your purposes. If you need the cleanest possible recording of a somewhat distant bird, only a parabolic reflector will achieve that.
If, however, you just want to record that bird you are hearing with a reasonable quality, even if there are other distractions in your recording, a good shotgun will work. If you can hear it decently, the shotgun will generally give a reasonable result.
Shotguns come, as usual, in lots of different prices. The most popular affordable shotgun for nature recording is the Sennheiser ME66/K6 combination. It is very sensitive and it has a very low inherent self noise. Many professionals will say that it's too bright and harsh sounding, but that's not much of a problem to record birds.
Other shotguns are either much more expensive or too poor. For example, I own an AKG SE300B+CK98 combo (it's a modular system, like the Sennheiser) and it's fine, but it's both less sensitive and noisier than the Sennheiser.
Recorder: My first choice right now is the Sound Devices MixPre 3. It has amazing preamplifiers and a lot of gain. Moreover, it has one of the best headphone amplifiers in this industry. Which is very important because otherwise you won't be sure what you did record until you arrive home and check it.
The closest runner would be the Zoom F4, but the headphone amplifier is not so good.
If you buy the MixPre 3 (I own one and I love it) remember to buy Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA batteries and their charger. I have three sets. Low noise analog electronics with high gain need power.
Don't forget a wind shield and suspension for the microphone, though. Currently I am happy with the Rode Blimp. It's expensive but more affordable than the other more professional brands (Rycote and Cinela) and despite that it's surprisingly good.
Headphones: Two popular choices are the veteran industry standards: Sony MDR-7506 or Sennheiser HD-25. I have had good results with Ultrasone HFI-650 (now discontinued, but there are equivalent models in their lineup).
The price of the Sony is hard to beat anyway. Just make sure to buy them from a reputable dealer because it's a good target for counterfeiters.