I use WBPlus North America (A MS Foxpro Database in Windows), but now there
are an Australian Version Peters Checklist version. It is also possible to
get WBPlus in Sibly & Monroe taxonomy. I prefer Peters because it is more
consistent with the field guides and because I am a little oldfashioned.
John Penhallurick <> supplies the database.
I have used this data base to update my now 5000 bird list. It has been a
great help to keep my lists up to date and also to be able to plan my
overseas trips. The main features are:
If you inter a trip report for example from Arizona in the USA, you can
update both your Arizona list, north america list, ABA area, and world list.
The data base consists of about 850 ? birds in North America which is a sub
database of the 9000 birds currently present in the world. I suppose the
Australian Version works under the same principle. Trip report from NSW
updates NSW list etc.
Trip lists from rest of the world have to be extracted from the world list.
Every bird can be found from selecting a "find". The bird can be found under
latin, english names and also from synomous names (old names which are not
used in Peters Checklist)
It is possible to write a half page introduction about the trip, but if you
want to write a little book of bird sites etc. is is better to write it in
Word document and attach it to the printed database birdlist report.
When printing your trip report including comments of each species seen, you
must have a printer attached to your computer. It is not possible to
transfer the comments of each species seen on a trip listed in trip reports
to a MS Word document. I am not an expert on windows programs, but as far I
understand, it is a task Bill Gates must solve in Fox Pro.
It is possible to print out checklists from each state and country for all
birds occuring, birds not seen and/or heared in that country/state, and
checklists for birds not seen anywhere else in the world. In other words it
is possible to have printed checklist for each country of birds not seen
before and total lists for that particular country/state. For example there
are 1400 bird in Ecuador, 1 checklist covering all 1400 birds and second
checklist covering the 387 birds I have not seen in Ecuador or any where
else in the World. A third list of birds not seen in Ecuador. Also it is
possible to print report of critical, endangered, vunerable, near threated
species etc for each country, continent, state
There are more features not mentioned here.
Finally you can get information of each birds distribution, habitat, status
by looking up more information for each bird. This info is available
directly, under update of trips and reports.
I am very happy with this data base and use it often to plan and to update
my overseas trips & lists. I am confident Ausbirders will find it usefull to
plan and update interstate trips within that country.
It would be best to backup the 8Mbyte program on a Zip Drive 100 mbyte disc.
THe execute files are large and cannot fit into one floppy. There is an arj
backup software which packs files into 3 floppy discs.
It is important to back up the program as it would be pitty to lose so much
data. It took me more than 2 months fulltime over 2 years to enter all my data.
Regards from Niels Dreyer
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