Aspiring bird experts need not leave the house to get a close up look and listen at the state's feathered friends in action, thanks to an innovative CD-ROM hitting the shelves this month.
One of an ever-growing list of field guides on CD-ROM, the two-volume "Better Birdwatching in Colorado," features maps, text, pictures, and audio and video clips of Colorado birds, all designed to give beginner birders the information they need to recogn ize species out in the field.
A CSU ornithology class will be using the CD as part of its lab this spring semester, and LaFleur said he will offer volume discounts for teachers wanting to use several CDs to teach a class. -- Boulder Daily Camera, March 25, 1998
PATHFINDER by Kevin J. Cook for Friday, July 31, 1998
I remember when booting up meant getting ready for a hike. This should immediately identify my antipathy toward computers.
I fill my life with natural wonders, especially birds. They live in the trees, eat the fruits of the wildflowers and prey on insects, fishes and mammals. It's a glorious system that works and works extremely well.
Quite frankly, a microprocessor is a mere fly speck compared to the magnificence of a barn swallow in flight.
To mix computers and birds violates something important. And when I figure out what, I'll tell you.
If I seem to be sputtering, I am, because I found a computer bird thing I sort of like.
"Better Birdwatching in Colorado" is a compact disc produced by local multi-media entrepreneur, Joe LaFleur. I've known Joe casually for many years; and when he told me what he was doing, I grimaced inwardly, hoping he wouldn't ask me to look at it. After all, I've never met a computer I didn't dislike.
He did and I did, with no promises.
You just pop the CD thing in your computer, push some buttons, fool around with a mouse (of no known family or species), and suddenly you have access to Colorado's birds.
This CD covers 185 bird species in a true multi-media package. You get range maps for all species, 350 photographs of 128 species, 130 videos for 69 species and 100 audios for 51 species. The CD also quizzes you and provides 40 videos and 213 photographs of Colorado's most productive birding locations.
"Better Birdwatching" takes you birding on rainy days, lets you prepare for upcoming trips, confirms identifications you made with a field guide while afield and helps you assess the birds in your own yard.
With resources such as "Better Birdwatching," knowledge and skills that took me years to accomplish you can acquire in months. Providing, of course, you apply yourself and actually study the material and not just flit through it.
Diffident as I am with computers, I nevertheless spent an afternoon browsing "Better Birdwatching." I found some glitches, but none sufficient to bother me.
Roger Tory Peterson's "Western Birds" is the finest field guide ever published. His trademark checklist omits Say's phoebe.
Kenn Kaufman's compendious "Lives of North American Birds" includes a photograph on page 391 that makes the dusky-capped flycatcher appear blue, which it most certainly is not.
Even the best publications contain flaws. To itemize a new publication's glitches is petty and uninstructive.
"Better Birdwatching" contributes new material in combinations unavailable with other CD's or in books. Amazing to me was the ease of mastery. Being a computer dunce, I found "Better Birdwatching" remarkably uncomplicated compared to other CD's I've tangled with.
Ultimately, "Better Birdwatching" relies on homebound technology. You cannot reasonably carry it afield. But you don't have to. That's what books are for. One does not replace the other, but rather they complement each other.
See? I'm learning. You can, too. About Colorado birds with "Better Birdwatching in Colorado." -- Fort Collins Coloradoan
This CD covers 185 bird species in a true multi-media package. You get range maps for all species, 350 photographs of 128 species, 130 videos for 69 species and 100 audios for 51 species. The CD also quizzes you and provides 40 videos and 213 phot ographs of Colorado's most productive birding locations.
"Better Birdwatching" takes you birding on rainy days, lets you prepare for upcoming trips, confirms identifications you made with a field guide while afield and helps you assess the birds in your own yard.
With resources such as "Better Birdwatching," knowledge and skills that took me years to accomplish you can acquire in months. Providing, of course, you apply yourself and actually study the material and not just flit through it.
Ultimately, "Better Birdwatching" relies on homebound technology. You cannot reasonably carry it afield. But you don't have to. That's what books are for. One does not replace the other, but rather they complement each other. -- Fort Collins Coloradoan, Lo veland Reporter-Herald, And Greeley Tribune
Articles about Better Birdwatching CD-ROMs have appeared in the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Boulder Daily Camera, Colorado Springs Gazette, Greeley Tribune, Rocky Mountain Collegian, Fort Collins Coloradoan, and Loveland Reporter Herald .
Ronald Ryder, a wildlife professor emeritus from CSU, calls the CD "a useful, interactive guide that will appeal to novice and advanced birders ... a valuable reference tool." What the judges at the Online Communications Competition have to say about Better Birdwatching in Colorado, Volumes 1 & 2. The competition was organized by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication, and the CD received a Merit Award. Judge #1
* "Individual page presentation is very good. Nice use of scanned/processed photos, integration of sound/video, etc. Users/birdwatchers will probably love it."
* "icons/buttons/links that start video/audio clips are well designed and seem to work well."
* "Nice, short videos show the behavior without a lot of confusing extra frames."
* "Notes section seems like a good idea."
* "It is an informative system, well-balanced and forward." * "The Quiz section is nice- people will enjoy that I think."
* "Clearly you have an interesting, useful tool for birdwatchers and people who want to learn about birds."
* "Fascinating CD title." Judge #2
* "Liked the maps/locations- consistent organization."
* "Good use of captions for on-screen presentation" (refers to captions with arrows pointing to important characteristics in bird photos.)
* "Good job with photos!"
* "Great job on graphics and videos- very appropriate for presentation."
* "Liked the use of photos, videos, and captions. Good way to show look and behavior."
* "Liked PAV notations" (Picture, Audio, and Video for each species are indicated in the indexes.)
* "Very professional look and feel."
* "Showed you know your subject matter and were able to present it in a very effective and usable manner." * "Design nice."
* "Quiz a good idea."
* The judge replied "yes to all" for the following factors regarding Achievement of Purpose.
* Stated purpose is met or surpassed.
* Central idea or goal is evident.
* Audience is consistently and appropriately addressed.
* The entry strikes you as appealing, interesting, and useful to the intended user.
* "Overall, very engaging and effective."
* "Cannot take it with you in the field unless you have a laptop (that is OK, but you would want to!)" Judge #3
* "All graphics and videos look very professional."
* "This product is a good idea and very useful."
* "I think this is an 'encyclopedia' for Colorado birds."
