Re: Birding apps

[Erika Roper <>]

Interesting. I currently have an Android phone, so I did not see the Australian version of the app I posted before. They don't seem to make an Australian Android app however. I will definitely look into the apps you mentioned. I am not as good at keeping lists up to date as I would like to be, so perhaps an app will be helpful (though I am not that big a fan of apps in general. My main downfall is digitising lists once I have made them in a book in the field. I dread the thought of countless excel spreadsheets with lists in them, so some sort of program that keeps it all organised would be great!

On 6 February 2013 19:01, Ian Baird <> wrote:

Erika, Nick et al

I can’t comment on the features of the two apps you have referred to, I’m not yet familiar with them,  but I would recommend you also consider another app which has been available from the US for  iPhone/iPad and Android phones for some time :-

Its Birdwatchers Diary developed by Stevens Creek Software, California :-

http://www.stevenscreek.com

I regularly use it to record GBS data on my iPhone 4S on a daily basis using a checklist I uploaded which is identical to the GBS checklist. It is practically speaking almost’ open source’ software because  you can load and adapt your own checklists from anywhere or use the readymade ones available from their website, including for Australia.  I adapted and loaded my own Christidis and Boles checklist for Australia working from the list on COG’s website. Automatic output to Cornell’s eBird is also possible using Birdwatcher’s Diary , but that’s not a feature which necessarily recommends itself to Australians.  It is also great for extended trips. Observations can be uploaded daily and these days that can be to Internet storage (i.e. to Dropbox, iCloud etc.) You don’t always have to be in GPS mode to use it because geographic coordinates can be added to

pre-defined locations afterwards when you return home.

 

Also, another potential source for good mobile phone birding software is Bird Journal (who have already developed and marketed PC-based bird recording software for several years).

http://www.bluebirdtechnology.com/BirdJournalMobile.aspx

They have a mobile phone app. developed and available for the UK; they also  promise a mobile phone app for Android and iPhone for Australia ’soon’ (-although I’ve been waiting for a year already!) You can already get checklists for Australia  from that source for birds, moths and butterflies.

 

So far though, I think Birdwatcher’s Diary is the best, most robust and flexible mobile phone bird recording app I have yet so far come across, but I do have an open mind!

I’ll have a look at these new ones you have identified as well!

 

Cheers,

Ian Baird

From: Nick Payne [
Sent: Wednesday, 6 February 2013 2:57 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Re: Birding app

 

This would appear to be the equivalent app for Australia: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AUSBirdingChecklist&feature=more_from_developer

On 06/02/13 14:05, Erika Roper wrote:

Although looking further I see that this one is for S. America, not Aust/NZ as the name would suggest. Oh well.

On 6 February 2013 14:04, Erika Roper <> wrote:

Hello,

 

I'm not sure how many of you log sightings with ebird, but I have been told that this app is incredibly useful for use in the field. 

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ezbird.androidanz&feature=more_from_developer

 

There is also an iPhone app, and they are on special at the moment (which is why I thought I would pass this on).

 

Also, I ave no affiliation with the developers or anything, I just thought people might be interested.

 

Erika