Cloudy Days and Netbook Nights

iBird Explorer Pro

A while ago I posted an update to the iBird Pro and Plus reviews based on a beta submitted to the App Store. Long story. Turns out there was a really long delay in getting it approved, having to do with the new stricter rating system on apps that use internet access, but it is finally live and available. Though the posted review listed the new features as applying only to the Pro version…in fact they are available in all versions of iBird. You can read about them here: iBird.

For full reviews of Pro and Plus, go here: Pro \   Plus

For a detailed comparison of the different versions of the app, go to the product finder on the iBird.com site.

To purchase iBird from the App store click here: iBird on the App Store.

iBird Explorer Pro continues to be near the top of the best selling apps on the iTuens App Store or iPhone and iPod Touch, and for good reason. It is an amazing application for anyone with an iDevice and even the smallest interest in birds. You can read my review of iBird Plus and iBird Pro or visit the iBird website for a complete description.

Notes and Family one above the other

The latest update, submitted to the app store this week and pending approval, adds a couple of significant features to Pro.

The first is Notes. You can now add a note to any species, and email you notes to yourself or others.

Then there is the Family reference section: complete inforation on each family of birds, accessable from the species account of any member of that species.

The update also includes, according the the iBird folks:

1. Notes  It’s found on the Species page buttons.

2. Family Accounts. Under the Notes button are family descriptions for every species (82 total).

Enter note page

3. Embedded Help. The old online help has been moved to the More…screen where it is called Online Support.

4. Spanish – added to the French language and found under More->Settings.

5. 6 New Hawaii Species.

6. iBird Products – More… has a link to a description of all variations of the program.

7. Reference for Search features. Found in the Glossary, at the very end.

8. 50 new photos, several that we were missing and several that are completely new and exciting.  I can’t thank the photographers who contributed these enough, they are really beautiful.

And speaking  of the new photos:

Hawaii birds added
Hawaii Elepaio
Kauai Elepaio
Oahu Elepaio
Kauai Amakihi
Oahu Amakihi
Red-vented Bulbul

Family information

This is a list of the new photos added

American Black Duck 2 JS.jpg
Bananaquit 2 JS.jpg
Bendire’s Thrasher 1 JS.jpg
Black Phoebe Female AV.jpg
Black-whiskered Vireo 2 JS.jpg
Blue Bunting Female JS.jpg
Blue Bunting JS.jpg
Bohemian Waxwing PS.jpg
Brown Creeper PS.jpg
Cassin’s Auklet 2 CT .jpg
Clay-colored Sparrow PS.jpg
Common Pauraque JS.jpg
Common Peafowl female 1 JS.jpg
Common Peafowl female 2 JS.jpg
Common Peafowl Female DY.jpg
Common Peafowl Male DY.jpg
Crescent-crested Warbler JS.jpg
Dark-rumped Petrel JS.jpg
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 1 JS.jpg
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 2 JS.jpg
Gray Partridge PS.jpg
Green Parakeet JS.jpg
Gull-billed Tern JS.jpg
Hermit Warbler JS.jpg
House Sparrow Female AV.jpg
Iiwi 1 PS.jpg
Iiwi 2 PS.jpg
Japanese White-eye PS.jpg
Java Sparrow immature PS.jpg
Kauai Amakihi PS.jpg
Louisiana Waterthrush 2 JS.jpg
Masked Booby 2 JS.jpg
Masked Booby 3 JS.jpg
Mitred Parakeet 2 JS.jpg
Mitred Parakeet 3 JS.jpg
Northern Pintail Female AV.jpg
Oak Titmouse 2 JS.jpg
Oak Titmouse 3 JS.jpg
Oak Titmouse Juvenile AV.jpg
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu 1 PS.jpg
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu PS.jpg
Red-crested Cardinal PS.jpg
Red-whiskered Bulbul 2 JS.jpg
Red-whiskered Bulbul 3 JS.jpg
Saffron Finch JS.jpg
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2 JS.jpg
Semipalmated Sandpiper Adult AV.jpg
Shiny Cowbird 2 JS.jpg
Short-tailed Hawk dark morph JS.jpg
Sooty Grouse Display DC.jpg
Spot-breasted Oriole 2 JS.jpg
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher 1 JS.jpg
Sulphur-Bellied Flycatcher 2 JS.jpg
Tennessee Warbler PS.jpg
Tree Swallow PS.jpg
Yellow-headed Blackbird Female AV .jpg
Zebra Dove PS.jpg
Zone-tailed Hawk JS.jpg

iBird Pro simply continues to grow…and continues to be a must have app for any iDevice carrying birder.

iBird Explorer Pro

[This review is for the Pro version, for the Plus version, go here.]

iBird Explorer Pro is a app for the iPhone/iPod Touch with references for 891 species of birds found in North America. It is, so far, totally unique (apart from its iBird siblings, more on that later) as an interactive field guide (with songs and calls), exhaustive reference, and powerful search engine for iPhone/Touch carrying birders in the field. It is, in fact, pretty much unique as interactive, reference on any platform, and just maybe, the most unique and useful field accessory you are ever likely to see.

Browse screens: notice keyword hints!

I have reviewed two previous versions of iBird Explorer Plus (original and the v1.4.1 update) in a sort of incremental way. Pro marks enough of a departure to warrant a whole new review. (iBird Plus and the regional apps will continue to be upgraded with new content and features appropriate to their serious birder audience, but Pro will acquire a feature set which is more appropriate for the professional guide, teacher, mentor, citizen scientist, ornithologist, or field biologist.)

In general, iBird Explorer Pro provides, for each of its 891 species, instant access to:
1 ) one or more detailed illustrations
2 ) an audio recording of songs and calls
3 ) a range map
4 ) a basic description of identifying features and associated habitats
5 ) what amounts to a complete life-history, which includes detailed descriptions of individual body parts, descriptions of habit, range, feeding and foraging, nesting, etc., etc.
6 ) a few interesting or unique facts and factoids about the species.
7 ) lists of, and live links to, similar species
8 ) one or more (often several) supplemental photographs
9 ) conservation status based on the IUCN/Bird Life International ratings
10 ) instant links to every photograph published on Flickr of the species (requires wifi or 3G)
11 ) an instant link to the Wikipedia article for the bird (requires wifi or 3G).
12 ) and a large version of the primary illustration which can be zoomed in to study detail.

The illustrations pages

You can browse the species listing sorted alphabetically by first name (common names, Yellow-rumped for Yellow-rumped Warbler), or by last name (Warbler for Yellow-rumped Warbler). (Note that typing in Warbler does not pull up all the warblers, only those with Warbler as their last name. Painted Redstart, for instance, would not included in the species found by the keyword “warbler”. To find all Warblers you could do a search by family in the search section, see below, or use browse by Family, also just below.) In standard iPhone fashion, a quick index on the side of the page allows you to jump directly to any letter, or to scroll quickly through the letters. You can also view and browse by Families (as in all Wood Warblers), sorted in in the order they appear in on the American Ornithological Union check-list.

Range Map, Sounds, Similar

You can type all or part of a common name in the keyword field, or you can enter the “/” character and the 4 letter banding code, or “&” and the Scientific Name, and iBird will locate the species or group of species for you.

Tapping any species name in the browse pages will open the species (bird) screen with a scrolling (left and right) two-row set of info buttons at the bottom. Here you select from illustrations (Bird), Sounds (little speaker icon), Range, Identity, Photos, Similar, Facts, Birdipedia or (scrolling right) Favorites, Ecology, Flickr, or Portrait (all of which correspond to the information listed above.)

Photo, Flickr, Conservation

On top of all that, iBird Explorer Pro also has a built in search engine which can sort the included 891 species by:
1 ) Location (multiple settings possible)
2 ) Shape
3 ) Size
4 ) Habitat (multiple settings possible)
5 ) Primary Color (multiple settings possible)
6 ) Secondary Color (multiple settings possible) (Both primary and secondary color setting require care. If you specify two or more incomputable colors you will end up with no matches.)
7 ) Backyard Feeders (yes or no)
8 ) Family
9 ) Bill shape
10 ) Bill length
11 ) Head pattern
12 ) Crown Color
13 ) Wing Shape
14 ) Flight pattern
15 ) Conservation status
16 ) Song
17 ) Song pattern
18 ) Observed status in a particular state in a particular month (based on actual sightings records)

Song Search

The search process is fast and efficient, and, in my experience, very accurate. While some (maybe most) experienced birders may prefer to use the sorting engine they have developed over years of field experience in their own brains, the search engine in iBird Explorer Pro will teach beginning and growing birders some good ID skills (at the very least what features to look for, and at the most, the most likely species to display them). It is also very useful when someone walks up with one of those “I saw a bird in my backyard the other day, and it was this big, and blue, and…” stories. Instead so smiling tolerantly (or superiorly, depending on who you are), and then making a series of inspired guesses (or shaking your head and walking away, again, depending), you can now enter the features as they are mentioned, ask pertinent questions

Global and app settings (French currenly, Spanish and German planned)

(where is your backyard, what kind of habitat does it provide, did you notice the color of the crown, shape and length of the bill, etc, etc.) and end up with a small (hopefully) list of birds you can actually show them on the spot…and even play back the songs if they heard the bird sing. (You may answer some questions and spark some interest in birds and birding, but one thing I guarantee you will do, is sell quite a few copies of iBird, and maybe a few iPhones as well.)

So let us answer the question on many minds right now: how is Pro different from Plus? There is a feature table here.

In a nutshell, Plus lacks Song search, obvious band code and scientific name keywording (hint), search by month/state, the Ecology page (and search by Conservation Status), the full sized portrait, and the foreign language option. That’s it. All other features are there (even if some are not immediately obvious (hint):).

Portrait View

Is that worth the $10 difference? Maybe not, for some, but we are told that the differences will become more profound as more professional features are added to Pro.

The intention, according to the iBird folks, is to create a feature set for Plus that suits the needs of the average advanced birder, and to create a feature set for Pro that meets the needs of the professional, with professional being, in my interpretation, loosely defined as the group mentioned above.

Many even serious birders will find the features of Plus (and the regional variations) to be completely adequate. If you are among them, I don’t think you have to fear that there will be a time when you suddenly need a feature from Pro and have to buy the new program. Put down your $19,99 and be happy. Your app will continue to develop along the existing lines. On the other hand, if you are a professional guide, teacher, mentor, citizen scientist, ornithologist, or field biologist, who needs the Pro features now, you can be assured that more Pro level features are coming to Pro in the future. And if you are not sure, or you are just the kind of birder who has to have the most advanced tools, then just pay the $10 extra up front and be happy.

For those who already own Plus, it is a harder decision. Is there a feature of Pro that you can’t live without? Then go for it now. Pro will only get better. On the other hand, if you don’t find a compelling reason to buy a new app (Pro) to replace your existing Plus, then stay with Plus. It too will only get better.

In this, of course, we are kind of at the mercy of the Mitch Waite Group and their decisions about what constitutes a serious (Plus) feature and what constitutes a Pro feature. In the current split, I could argue strongly that Song search should be a Plus feature, not necessarily a Pro feature. In fact I plan to do so, via the new iBird Explorer discussion forum the iBird folks just put up. By the evidence so far, the Mitch Waite Group listens carefully to user feedback and feature requests in making these kinds of decisions.

State and Month Search

And consider this: either program is a bargain at the price. To duplicate the content it would cost many times as much. The search features simply can not be duplicated.

And finally, the upgrade controversy. No there is no way, currently, for a Plus user to upgrade to Pro, other than buying the new program at the full price. There should be, but with the App Store system, which is totally under Apple’s control, there is not. This should change sometime after June when iPhone OS 3.0 becomes available, but it is really up to Apple, and until then…

You have choices. Need Pro. Buy it. Even if you have Plus. After all, even if you add the two prices together, it is still a bargain. If you can live without the features of Pro, do so. For now. Upgrade only when you have to. (And maybe by then there will be an upgrade path?? Who knows?)

(To be fair, I have three National Geo guides sitting on my shelf, one of each recent edition, and two copies of guides by Kenn Kaufman which only differ by the composition of the cover. I did not expect the publishers of those guides to upgrade my guide when a new edition, or an improved cover, came out. I did not even, come to think of it, as for a rebate, or a credit for already owning a copy. I just went out and bought the new guide. And no printed guide has ever promised, as iBird does, continuous upgrades of the content. (Oh there was that page for Sibely you were supposed to tape into your book…but you know what I mean.))

The bottom line here is that iBird Explorer Plus/Pro is an absolute must have app for any iPhone/iPod Touch owner who is even moderately intersted in birds. Plus for the moderate. Pro for the, well, for the not so moderate. For the avid birder, what can I say? Buy iBird Explorer. In fact, buy an iPhone if you have to, to run it on. With apps like iBird Explorer you will never regret the investment.

Roger Tory Peterson’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America started an industry. His art, and his writing, defined birdwatching for several generations in America, and his name is recognized in birding circles world-wide. He invented the field mark, a system of arrows in his illustrations pointing to significant details that are off use in identifying birds in the field, most often elaborated in the accomping text. Many of us grew up as birders depending on field marks for our ids.

For that reason, one approaches the Peterson iPhone Guide to Backyard Birds with a certain justifiable expectation. Peterson’s heirs and publisher gurad his reputation well. Any product that carries the Peterson name must reach a certain standard of excellence.

In this the iPhone Backyard Birds, by WildTones, does not disappoint.

Detialed Illustrations and Range Maps

The illustrations are of highest quality, directly from the most recent Peterson’s guides, and with the bird sounds and songs, make up the strong suit of the app. Where necessary both sexes are shown. For many birds, where regional variation comes into play, they are illustrated. Many feature both adult and immature plumages. And all feature clear bold field mark arrows.

The range maps, also direct from the Peterson’s printed guides, are also of high quality, and quite easy to read. Both illustrations and maps can be expanded by the traditional iPhone pinch motion on the touchscreen, though both run out of resolution fairly quickly. Still it is useful if you want to see a particular field mark more closely or check a boundary on the map.

The song recordings, provided by Lang Elliott, who just might be the Peterson of bird recording, are exceptional. A wide range of vocalizations are provided where needed and the recordings are clear and loud enough so that playback on the internal speaker of the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G is completely practical.

The browse screen (taxonomic order) and Species text

The text provided for each species does a good job of reinforcing the field mark arrows, elaborating as needed to make the point. Basic habitat and range information is embedded in the text, without being highlighted in any way. This is a drawback, imho, as it makes some of the most essential information for beginning birders harder than it needs to be to find. Information is also given on what kinds of feeder foods the birds like, to help beginners tailor their backyard feeding stations.

In fact, the text is the first disappointing feature of the guide. Most descriptions are no longer than you would find in a really basic printed guide, where space limitations are much more stringent than in any electronic format. Most of the text pages have a lot of empty space that might have been filled with other useful information about the species, or more elaborate descriptions.

And of course, as guide intended for backyard birders, the text is kept to what one might call an introductory level.

The illustrations and maps, however, are of such high quality that this guide will leave any avid birder hungry for a complete North American version with expanded text resources.

Audio and Visual ID quizes

As a guide meant for beginning birders, the app also includes some interactive id games, both visual and sound, to help the birder become better at id.

You can also sort the included birds by the first two digits of zip codes. A two digit zip map of the country by region is provide to help. For many states this results in a single state list. For states with multiple zips, it can generate several separate lists. The feature is not, imho, all that useful however, as the zip boundaries are in no way related to regional distinctions within states. In fact, I am not sure there is any kind of natural logic to how the boundaries were drawn beyond human population patterns.

Finally, there is a simple check list feature. A check button on each species page allows you to add it to your list, and a check list button on the home page allows you to call up the list of species to view it. Not very sophisticated but certainly as good as ticking off the species you have seen in the index of your first field guide, or making marks next to the drawings on the pages. (The two most common ways for birders to begin their life-lists.)

Of course, we have to compare this app to the similarly named iBird Explorer Backyard edition for the iPhone. I am tempted to say they are so different that no comparison is really meaningful. Certainly no best/worst, or even “better/worser” distinction can be made.

iBird Explorer presents its illustrations completely differently. Recent revisions, just now reaching the app store, have expanded the range of illustrations, both drawings and photos, of each species dramatically, but there is nothing like the all-variations-on-one-page illustrations the Peterson guide provides. While there is definitely more visual information contained in the iBird approach, it can be more difficult for the beginning birder to sort out. Also, there is nothing in iBird that corresponds to the field mark arrows Peterson provides.

Sound recordings in iBird are excellent. For a few species, sound recordings in Peterson are, to my ear, just slightly better (louder, more complete). Either is an amazing resource in the field and for learning.

Where the two really begin to differ however is in the search facilities. Peterson has only the zip code search. iBird has an amazingly sophisticated set of search criteria that, once mastered, allows you to generate highly specific lists: lists limited pretty much only by your own imagination and your skill in using the feature.

Compared to the brief descriptions in the Peterson guide, the shear amount of textural information provided in iBird has to be seen to be appreciated. There are pages and pages of it for each species, all of it in great detail, and all of it highly and clearly organized. The iBird text will provide any birder, no matter how advanced, with enough reading and study material to occupy the mind for years to come. iBird, in that sense, is way beyond a field guide. Even the Backyard edition is a complete reference to the birds it covers, the equivalent of a whole bookshelf of books.

Both are Backyard editions, but it is too simple to say the Peterson, with its simple text and quiz system, is geared more for the beginner than iBird. Beginners will reach the limits of what is in the Peterson much quicker than they will reach the limits of what is in iBird, but they will learn a lot from either program.

If you are birder of any stamp, you already know that this exercise of comparison is pretty pointless. Any beginning birder with an iPhone or iPod Touch is going to end up owning, and enjoying both of these excellent guides. Neither, by print standards, is expensive (in fact both are bargains). Each will be enjoyed for its merits, and using and studying both will only make the backyard birder grow in his or her skill faster, and have more fun doing it!

In fact, I suspect that both these applications will stay on any iPhone or Touch they are insalled on for the life of the device! And both will be used regularly for backyard observations. That is a testimony to the unique strengths of each, and to the quality of both. Such wealth! Two backyard field guides for the iPhone toting birder. Life is good.

(One added note: iBird Explorer Backyard serves as an entry to the whole iBird and WhatBird.com search system. Search and id skills learned on the backyard edition transfer seamlessly to the Plus, full North American, or the regional iBird editions. We can hope that WildTones will expand the range of their offerings in a similar way.)

The Peterson iPhone Guide to Backyard Birds is available at the iTunes app store for $2.99. The WildTones web site is here. Check out About Us at the bottom of the page.

Peterson’s iPhone Guide to Backyard Birds. Can you resist? I certainly couldn’t.