Scratching your head over a gift for your favorite bird lover? Something beyond bird feeders and feed? Or maybe you'd simply like to treat yourself?
Here are some ideas:
First, for anyone who loves birds and has a cell phone, a bird identification app that includes songs and species details makes a sure winner. Among the numerous app guides out there, here are my three personal favorites, all available for both iPhone and Android.
For beginners, the Merlin Bird ID app lets users check out over 3,000 birds from all over the world, depending on which "bird packs" users select. Answer five simple questions to get a series of possible choices. Or load a photo of the bird in question and let Merlin do the rest. Or even preview the birds most likely seen before traveling. Best feature: It's free.
For birders who are further along with ID skills but are eager to improve, consider the Sibley Guide to Birds app, a guide to over 800 birds of North America, supplemented with over 2,800 audio recordings. Users can set searches to geographic areas and even limit a search to a current location. A search bar allows a search by name or banding code. An icon accesses text detailing size, appearance, subspecies, taxonomic notes, status and habits; seasonal status data; songs and calls and range maps. Other icons let users compare two species, keep lists and take notes. At $19.99, it's cheaper but more complete than the 544-page book by the same name — which obviously doesn't include those 2,800 audio recordings and interactive searches.
More: For the Birds: Providing bird shelters
More: For the Birds: The dangers of disappearing birds
More: For the Birds: Tropical birds gone, winter birds flying in to Tri-State
For warbler lovers, The Warbler Guide app is also a digital version of a book by the same name. Settings separate spring warblers from fall and allow the user to narrow a search to one of four quadrants of the U.S. Although each warbler is illustrated photographically by side, face, 45-degree, underside and undertail views, the most exciting view is the 3D view which allows users to situate the bird at any angle, replicating the bird as sighted. One feature lets the user place two species side by side, even in 3D, to help resolve the toughest ID challenges. A filter can limit possible choices by location, plumage and song. Warblers' every song and call are accompanied by spectograms and can be slowed to half speed. Explanatory notes identify similar-sounding songs of other species for ID comparison. Additional photos beyond the basic IDs are a bonus — all for $12.99.
Or maybe your favorite bird lover merits a more luxurious gift, like new binoculars (the best range up to $3,000) or a fancy camera with a big lens (which can cost more than a new Mercedes). Okay, the ridiculous aside, big-ticket items really need the recipient's input. Some pricy binoculars are so heavy that they're not practical for day-long in-the-field birding. And the literally hundreds of camera/lens options require careful research and personal input. But certainly, a cash contribution toward your bird lover's preference would rank way up there on the appreciation scale.
Finally, a couple of books might be in order. If you'll allow my personal plug, I happen to know of two: "Birds in the Yard Month by Month" and "Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard." Both of my books are available at favorite bookstores as well as online.
Happy holidays, all!
For more information about birds and bird habitat, see Sharon Sorenson's books Birds in the Yard Month by Month and Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard. Check her website at birdsintheyard.com, follow daily bird activity on Facebook at SharonSorensonBirdLady, or email her at chshsoren@gmail.com.
"bird" - Google News
December 08, 2019 at 07:00PM
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For the Birds: Gifts for fans of our feathered friends - Courier & Press
"bird" - Google News
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