Customer Reviews

I-Flyer BirdSong Scanning Wand

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was bouncing back and forth between ordering this and the Identiflyer as a gift for my husband. I liked the idea of this product better (Identiflyer has individual cards (averaging $10 a piece} and you have to buy the case seperately as well, so that can really add up), but was unsure because the Iflyer had no reviews. I went to REI and was able to try it out before buying it. The primary carrying case is well constructed, and the wand is sturdy (it also has a seperate belt loop pouch). The book has a fairly good selection of birds (there is also a slot in the wand for updates if/when they are released and designated spaces for them in the case). The additional scan labels are a wonderful idea. We are planning to put the them in our regular bird book.

We are both very happy with the purchase and have identified a woodpecker (downy) we were unsure of that resides in our yard and have managed to inadvertently entertain squirrels, confuse our neighbors and rile up our dogs.

Great concept and works well. Main criticism is that the bird calls in the book are too weighted towards the obscure ones that you don't hear as often. It needs a greater volume of common birds and/or different calls of each bird. To be fair, it does contain calls of cardinals, sparrows, bluejays, robins and some of the other common birds.

Gift for my wife, a park ranger who leads nature and science tours. She sees the scanning wand as a useful tool in teaching visitors about birds. Ties bird pictures with songs in compact package.

I purchased the I-Flyer wand as a teaching tool. It is very difficult for children to use and does not work consistently. Also, the scanning labels wear out after a few uses and the wand will not work.

A good purchase for personal use, but not good as a teaching tool for nature centers, teachers, or scout leadrs.

After countless days of research on the web, I decided to purchase this product to help in my "beginners" role of birdwatching. I couldn't wait to receive it, so once the package came, I eagerly began opening it - quite a process, as it was tucked inside multiple different boxes & a plastic bag before I got to the carrying case it comes in. Once there, I found the directions vague, especially for actually using the wand. For the 1st few days I was extremely disappointed in the "randomness" of the playback. The directions don't give you any clue about how to scan the various barcodes for successful playback. Just before I was ready to return this "defective" product I tried speeding up the actual scanning of the barcodes, which is what (apparently) you are supposed to do; just like at the supermarket scanning groceries, it should be swiped quickly over the the birdcall you want to hear. Voila! now I am happy with the iFlyer scanning wand & have scanned the entire book to make sure all the calls work, which they do. The extra pages of barcodes will be placed in my state bird "bible" to allow me to easily identify local populations & migrants using our state airways. Why don't instructions clearly state how to use products anymore?

I gave this as a gift to my mother, she seems to really enjoy it.

We used this device to call in birds to our backyard. It is easy to use and set up. My neighbors have all bought one when they saw ours.

Purchased as a Christmas Gift so not much sense in making out a review and that is why I rated it 5*