Ornithology B/C

[VPN_vIPer]

The National Geographic app is a little expensive at $10, but I might try it out ... hmm. Does it have audio features for all of the birds on the national list (that require audio)? I'm also afraid that it will crash a lot, like some reviews said. Does the search feature work now?

Yes, we can bring two papers and two books per TEAM.

I haven't spent a whole lot time with it, as it's helpful as a guide-to-go. As far as I know, they have audio clips and descriptions for every bird in their database, which as far as I know includes the birds on the national list (haven't encountered one that's missing ...). The search feature works fine for me and it hasn't crashed since I bought it. It's slightly expensive ... if you have the National Geographic Handheld bird book or the companion text, the app is really not necessary as it's essentially a replica. Only because I spend a lot of time commuting, I invested in an app instead of having to carry around a guide ... but if you're looking for something light, I'd second the Peterson's Guide to Backyard Birds. I'm not sure of the bird species since their last update, but I remember it was missing quite a few species when I bought it for last year (nighthawks, screech owls, etc.) that might be a problem for modified state lists.

[fossilgirl13]

arrgh... I wish I received an iPhone for christmas. I could have bought that bird app. I'm relying on a tape recorder.
Oh, BTW, The Room rocks.

[paleonaps]

I need to try one of these bird apps.

[austinfhs]

I got Peterson's Guide to Backyard Birds. It's nice, for $3, I guess, but it does not cover all the birds on the national list.
I have yet to purchase the other apps, although I probably will not, because I've spent too much money already, haha

[VPN_vIPer]

What kind of information did you guys put on your notes sheets (those who competed last year)? I remember my notes sheets not coming into any use at all during the entire season, except maybe for some technical terms. I'd like to build a better notes sheet this year and it'd be interesting to hear what was helpful and what was not, since clearly mine were not.

[fossilgirl13]

What kind of information did you guys put on your notes sheets (those who competed last year)? I remember my notes sheets not coming into any use at all during the entire season, except maybe for some technical terms. I'd like to build a better notes sheet this year and it'd be interesting to hear what was helpful and what was not, since clearly mine were not.

Well, last year, I out down all the different types of nests and eggs and what kind of birds used them. I also put down the list if all state birds b/c they asked about that once and we were totally thrown off. I also included basic bird vocabulary and diagrams of birds (their feathers, skeletons, etc). You can find all this at the wiki (my lifesaver).
BTW, it's important to try and fit A LOT onto what they give you (double-sided, 8.5"11"), so I use 5 font and I cut down the margin size.

[AlphaTauri]

Ok, this is probably a really stupid question, but do the Eastern/Western versions of the Sibley each contain all the birds on the National list? Also, is there any other advantage to buying the complete edition (East + West), such as more info or more images?

[amerikestrel]

Ok, this is probably a really stupid question, but do the Eastern/Western versions of the Sibley each contain all the birds on the National list? Also, is there any other advantage to buying the complete edition (East + West), such as more info or more images?

I only have the full guide so I can't answer this completely, but I know that the Eastern/Western guides are designed for more practical use in the field, because they're lighter and designed for specific regions. I'd be very surprised if they didn't have all the birds on the National list, because I'm pretty sure they include all the birds in the regular guide. Unless you plan to go birding and don't want to lug around a big book, I don't think there's any point in buying the smaller guides. You'd be better off getting two different guides with different features, and using both at the competition. The Ornithology Wiki has good descriptions of different guides.

[kalithepianist]

Okay, I just want to clarify on the things that we are able to bring per team:
-2 8.5" by 11" piece of paper with notes.
-2 field guides, tabbed/marked, no more than 3 words per post-it-note.

Also, do we need to know the exact location of the birds, or just their general habitat? For example, in my notes for the Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, I put:
—Summer Range—N. Mexico to S. AZ, NE Texas to SE OK/AR, SE Texas to SW Louisiana, E. Louisiana.
—Winter Range—None.
—Year-Round Range—Coasts of Mexico and Texas, up into middle of TX, middle of Florida.
—Irregular Summer Range—Middle TX to middle OK, middle FL to S. GA/SC.

[amerikestrel]

I depends on the test. Species distribution is included in most competition, but you can usually find the information in your field guide.