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| Scott Tuthill Guest Birding App Reviewer for Birding is Fun! |
There is no more venerable name in birdwatching than Roger Tory Peterson (RTP). The 1934 launch of his simply named "Field Guide" revolutionized bird identification through it's "Peterson System". Notably pioneering the approach of pointing out those few differentiating marks that can readily
identify a specie in the field while looking at it through binoculars -- of course with a RTP Field Guide in hand. Fast forward now 77 years. Appweavers, Inc., led by Nigel Hall, has taken up the challenge of adapting the RTP field guide for use on modern smart phones and tablet devices. The question this review will attempt to answer is: "How well did they manage to put a RTP guide into a smartphone and make it usable in the field?"
In my case I ran the just released Version 1.1 of the application, downloaded from iTunes, on my iPhone 4. The application weighs in at a rather hefty 701 MB which, while large as iPhone apps go, should easily fit. Because of this relatively large size, however, you do probably want to download it over WiFi or via syncing with your PC rather than a 3G connection directly to the App Store.
In my case I ran the just released Version 1.1 of the application, downloaded from iTunes, on my iPhone 4. The application weighs in at a rather hefty 701 MB which, while large as iPhone apps go, should easily fit. Because of this relatively large size, however, you do probably want to download it over WiFi or via syncing with your PC rather than a 3G connection directly to the App Store.First, it is important to note that Appweavers, through partnership with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, is using the exact same content as found in the print versions of the guides. The plates, the text, and the maps are exactly the same and will be familiar to all who have ever used RTP guides, which is most of us, I would guess. There has been no loss in information in squeezing the guide into a smart phone. In fact, you get even more as I will point out later.
Second, so how well does this app provide you with a "RTP Field Guide in your pocket?". I have always thought the ideal field guide should fit in your pocket to allow both hands on your binoculars, to lug your scope up to the top of a hill, or cradle that warm cup of coffee in the morning. Then, when needed, you should be able to pull it out, quickly find the page you need, and have it present you with the right information to help you make an identification. Appweavers has done a stunningly good job at this and I would feel confident using this app in the field. No more standing on a windswept roadside with a larger paper field guide held between my legs, or tucked in my waistband because I don't have a pocket big enough, or buried at the bottom of my backpack.
Here is how it works.
Once on the plate of interest a tap on the bottom of the screen brings up a menu to access additional information for the birds on the page. [By the way, though this application works with the iPhone in both portrait (long edge up) and landscape (long edge sideways) orientations, I found the portrait orientation to be most useful. You may find it the other way.] One tap brings up the text associated with the birds on that plate. Another tap brings up the range maps. This in itself is a wonderful and useful improvement over the traditional challenge of finding the range map in the back of a RTP field guide (the older ones at least) while not losing your page with the plate and text. With the app interface it is very easy to toggle back and forth between the plate, the text information, and the range maps. And, in general, the interface Appweavers has created for the Peterson application is the most elegant, innovative and useful I have seen in an iPhone application. For instance when you tap on a specific bird on a plate all the other birds on the same plate appear to go out of focus so you know which bird you selected. Selection of individual range maps is accomplished via a unique sliding filmstrip tool.
As they say "But wait, there's more". Many birdwatchers soon discover the hobby is as much about "bird listening" as "bird watching". Appweavers has advanced the concept of a field guide by smoothly integrating bird songs into the application. From the plate screen tap on a bird, it's name is displayed at the top of the screen so you know what you selected, tap on the bottom to bring up the menu for more information, tap on the speaker icon and it will play the song for that bird. Want to quickly compare the song to another bird on the page? Just tap on that bird, it's name is displayed, and its song starts playing. Is the bird on the next plate? No problem. Just flick to the next plate, tap the bird, and the song starts playing. When done with songs just tap on the speaker icon again to turn it off. This integration of audio within a field guide really is a revolutionary step and represents what can be done using a smart phone platform. You just can't do this with a paper field guide.
Also in the "But wait, there's more" category, Appweavers has also included links to photos of specie bird nests, a useful Similar Species listing to help you through the process of sorting out what you might have seen, and a specie Quick Facts sheet. And, if double tapping on a full plate does not zoom in enough on a bird drawing, there is also a separate section where you can go to see even more enlarged sections of the plates. A quick comparison I made showed these enlargements were just as big, if not bigger, than the plates in a printed field guide. And, if you want, you can link out to your own photo's of the specie that you have in your iPhone.
Beyond the identification field guide functionality Appweavers has also provided useful extras in their app. You can record your daily sightings and your life list as well as search through them. They also have provided a selection of useful and interesting articles to birdwatchers.
Full Screen Plate ViewTap this part of the Screen to bring up a menu of additional information icons.
All in all Appweavers' Peterson app for the iPhone is an extremely well executed implementation of the RTP Field Guide. Not only does it present the Peterson System but extends beyond it where you would expect and does so with a user interface that is simple and fun to use. I can easily see where this will take the place of a printed field guide. And, since you always have your phone with you, it is even more useful for those chance encounters when you would not have a traditional field guide with you. Obviously, you do need to make sure to keep your phone charged. A necessary evil for an electronic field guide and one area where the traditional paper field guide retains its advantage.
When you head off to the App Store be aware there are several "Peterson Field Guide" apps. This one is by Appweavers, is called "Peterson Birds of North America" and has an American Robin as it's app icon as pictured here. It is currently priced at $29.99. Though this price is a bit more than the current list price for a printed field guide remember it also has all the birds songs included which are usually only available at an extra cost beyond a printed guide. The Extra's section of the app also includes all the text from Steve Howell's Peterson Reference Guide to Molt in North American Birds which is a $35 list price book.
Finally, I also installed and played with this application on a iPad 2. Though an iPad is not the type of thing I would take out into the field with me it certainly can be used around the house for feeder watching and the like. The app takes advantage of the iPad's extra screen area by presenting the plates and text side by side on the screen if you hold the iPad in landscape format. (Landscape = long edge sideways. And, the application works much better in landscape on an iPad than on an iPhone.) Flick to a new plate and the text follows. Double tap on a bird, the plate zooms in with the unique focus/out of focus display and just the text for that specie is displayed. Tap on the speaker icon and the song for that bird is played. The extra screen space certainly makes for a more comfortable usage experience but the iPhone implementation is just fine.
Thanks for the review. Sounds like there is no Search feature in which you answer questions and the guide is supposed to narrow the choices until it finds your bird. OK by me, I usually don't need that and have gotten some ridiculous results in other field guides, but flipping pages to get to the bird and confirm or find out more info or hear the song is tedious. Our software, Birdwatcher's Diary, has a unique way of finding the bird you want to check off as seen or heard very fast. All the other field guides and checklist apps that I've tried use different methods and take much longer. Also, I want my field guide app to have songs and calls, and a variety of them. Sounds like Peterson's doesn't have as much in that dept. as others. By the way, Birdwatcher's Diary does a lot more than just produce a day list or life list. If you are really interested in keeping multiple lists, mapping sightings, uploading to eBird and your desktop computer, emailing or posting the list, using different master lists, sorting species in different ways, etc., you'll need more than a field guide app. Check out Birdwatcher's Diary at the iTunes app store.
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention, there are gloves specially made for use with iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad. I haven't personally tested them, but saw some demonstrated last year's MacWorld. I imagine they would be a must in really cold weather. Here are some URLs:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dotsgloves.com/
http://www.freehands.com/products/Power-Stretch-2-Finger-Liner%2C-Unisex.html
http://www.itouchgloves.com/
Hi, Steven, I'm the developer of the Peterson Birds app and I thought I'd address a couple of your questions. First, though, I'd like to point out that the most effective approach to navigating an iPhone with gloved hands is a frozen sausage. This is a tried and tested method and thousands of Koreans swear by it http://www.tomsguide.com/us/South-Korea-Sausages-iPhone-Stylus,news-5815.html.
ReplyDeleteNow, to your points, Peterson Birds takes its organization, design, and content from the much loved Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America. The book has benefited from multiple revisions over the years, with the sole aim of making it easier for birders to quickly and positively identify birds. The organization and design of the app is the same as that of the book and anyone familiar with the Peterson classic will feel right at home in the app. We even have the Peterson Identification System series of arrows that highlight field markings.
Peterson Birds does indeed provide a very effective search capability and provides a wide variety of parameters to filter the list of 810 birds down to a handful to make identification easier. We offer a innovative location based search that returns only the most common birds that have been sighted in an area and can filter this by month. This is great if, for example, you find yourself in Aspen and want to know what species you can expect to see in the mountains in Colorado in March.
We also provide the ability to record sightings and then view sightings by species, date, and location. Like your app, we offer a life list containing all 810 species. But we also let users create as many new lists as they like. Users can share lists through email. When another PB app users taps on the emailed file, the app automatically imports the new list. It's a great way to distributed a list of birds to everyone attending a trip or to share a backyard bird list.
With regard to audio, we have the same access to Cornell's Macaulay library catalog as the majority of birding apps and provide songs for over 700 species.
I've only mentioned a few of the features of the Peterson Birds app. I recommend you download it and give it a try. I'd love to hear your feedback,
Nigel
Comment from Nigel Hall - I got the email, but it did not appear on the blog for some reason:
ReplyDeleteHi, Steven, I'm the developer of the Peterson Birds app and I thought I'd address a couple of your questions. First, though, I'd like to point out that the most effective approach to navigating an iPhone with gloved hands is a frozen sausage. This is a tried and tested method and thousands of Koreans swear by it http://www.tomsguide.com/us/South-Korea-Sausages-iPhone-Stylus,news-5815.html.
Now, to your points, Peterson Birds takes its organization, design, and content from the much loved Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America. The book has benefited from multiple revisions over the years, with the sole aim of making it easier for birders to quickly and positively identify birds. The organization and design of the app is the same as that of the book and anyone familiar with the Peterson classic will feel right at home in the app. We even have the Peterson Identification System series of arrows that highlight field markings.
Peterson Birds does indeed provide a very effective search capability and provides a wide variety of parameters to filter the list of 810 birds down to a handful to make identification easier. We offer a innovative location based search that returns only the most common birds that have been sighted in an area and can filter this by month. This is great if, for example, you find yourself in Aspen and want to know what species you can expect to see in the mountains in Colorado in March.
We also provide the ability to record sightings and then view sightings by species, date, and location. Like your app, we offer a life list containing all 810 species. But we also let users create as many new lists as they like. Users can share lists through email. When another PB app users taps on the emailed file, the app automatically imports the new list. It's a great way to distributed a list of birds to everyone attending a trip or to share a backyard bird list.
With regard to audio, we have the same access to Cornell's Macaulay library catalog as the majority of birding apps and provide songs for over 700 species.
I've only mentioned a few of the features of the Peterson Birds app. I recommend you download it and give it a try. I'd love to hear your feedback,
Nigel