Which apps do you use when birding? (1 Viewer)

[jurek]

I am buying new phone, and wonder about birding apps. What apps do you use when birding - not necessarily about birds?

My first consideration is sat-nav without internet connection. I may live in developed country, but I am out of internet access in the forest 30 minutes from home. So GoogleMaps and such will only make me lost. How is it about you?

Second is Googlemaps for small-scale satelite maps, but every smartphone has it, so not a differentiating factor.

Is there an useful app for West Palearctic birds, besides common ones? Any apps for regions outside North America? Any other gizmo I did not know I need?

 

[dalat]

This forum here is the right place to look for more details: http://www.birdforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=108

There are different types of apps:
- for general maps and navigation. various apps using the open street maps offer offline maps. however these are not so good off country. I don't know any good apps for offline use of satellite images or topographical maps
- bird guides, e.g. the collins bird guide is now available as iphone app (not yet android)
- bird alert apps
- bird recording apps, various apps are available, also national or international bird recording websites (like ebird) have apps for mobile data entry
- bird voices, but these can also be used without app, just like music files

Most apps are country specific, like bird alerts or field recording apps...

 

[jurek]

Thanks a lot, connected to the proper forum.

 

[njlarsen]

Jurek,
I have an ipad mini without phone functionality (wifi only), so in some ways similar. I have been impressed with the maps from maps.me - they are not topographic, but otherwise works well for me (they have some turns right that are wrong in Google maps). Importantly, they have just updated the map with new functionality, and topographic is on their radar for future updates.

My ipad cannot do GPS on its own, so I have added that functionality from http://bad-elf.com/pages/products . I initially had the version for lightning connector, but lost it in a rental car exchange. I now have the GPS pro, which I like a lot. Works well with maps.me

If your area is on ebird (some people are submitting observations) then look into birdseye (combination of a service to show recent sightings (only works when online) with voice recordings and a single photo (works when offline too).

Niels

 

[Tim42]

I have 4 apps on my iPod: iBird Pro, Audubon Guide to Birds, and HeadsUp Sparrows and Warblers. I get the most use out of iBird Pro because I also have a version of it on my smart phone, but I find that the HeadsUp apps have more song and call variations per bird but only one picture of each bird.