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"Roberts" CD-Rom |
The CD-Rom goes far beyond a mere bird book on CD-Rom and combines a comprehensive multimedia database on over 920 Southern African bird species, with eight interactive modules that facilitate quick reference and a stimulating "computer birding" experience. The CD has been produced by Guy Gibbon and Steven van der Merwe in collaboration with Gordon Maclean and the the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund.
The CD Includes over 1100 illustrations, 1500 photographs, 800 bird sounds, 470 video clips, 200 birding spots and 1700 bird lists.
As with most CD-Roms, you need a reasonably up-to-date PC - with at least a 100 mhz pentium microprocessor, 32 meg ram, a fast CD-Rom and properly configured sound and video capability. As a first release, the programme is not without its bugs, and one should be patient in letting the programme access the species you have requested !
There are over 920 individual bird pages in the BIRDS database. Each of the over 920 bird pages on the CD comprises illustrations (plates), distribution map, short and long text, photos, videos and sounds, together with a notepad and print function. The module includes over 1100 illustrations 1500 photographs, 800 bird sounds and 470 video clips. I was slightly dissapointed to find that some of the changes to the Southern African list had not been included. In particular, I wanted to compare the call of the Barlow's Lark with that of Karoo and Dune Larks, but these have not been included on the CD-Rom
The database section is where the "multimedia" format of the CD-Rom really comes into its own. It is probably a far better way of learning the birds than a combination of books and tapes, and makes looking up information a really pleasurable experience. One can click on the sound icon, starting a continuous play of the sounds of the species in the background while you browse illustrations, video clips or take the handy shortcuts to any part of the text.
Illustrations
Illustrations consist of Roberts plates, and individual enlargements of each bird species. In addition, there are over 1500 photographs. The quality of the enlarged plate illustrations is fine, but the photo's tend to lose a bit in this format. Nevertherless as far as computer graphics go, the images are acceptable. What makes the CD-Rom format nice as a reference guide is the capability to switch easily between painted illustrations and photographs or video clips.
Identification Module
This feature combines different modules in format which allows one to eliminate species on the basis of size, profile or distribution. It is an excellent tool for the beginner birder, as it structures the identification process in a logical and systematic fashion.
Birding Spots
The birding spots feature is a useful addition to this guide to birds, and covers about 200 of the better known birding spots. At present, the birding spots section is not as comprehensive nor as user friendly as Chittenden's "Top Birding Spots", but does provide a wealth of new information which will enrich anyones birding. Information is succinct rather than comprehensive, and the standard and style of these site descriptions seems to vary. Some descriptions (such as that for Rustenburg Nature Reserve) focuses mostly on unusual or rare species, which are unlikely to be seen in a normal visit. These site descriptions do not really give a sense of the "specials" which one would visit the area to see. Indeed the way in which the term "specials" is used varies from account to account. Other descriptions (such as that for Vaalkop Dam) provide a sense of what one is likely to see during a short visit, and are to my mind, more useful to birders.
Bird Lists (& listing feature)
This is perhaps one of the nicest surprises of the CD-Rom as it allows one to generate (an atlas-based) list for any quarter-degree square, but you can very easily compile your own list for a trip to the area, or of all the birds you have seen in a particular locality. It is relatively easy to toggle between the local area checklist and the full Southern African list. The list feature is not a custom made birding database, but is nevertherless more than adequate for most birders, and is certainly easier to use than the birding databases available on the market.
Habitat Module
The habitat module provides photographs and descriptions of the key habitat, as well as a map of the region. A bird list can be generated for any particular habitat, making this module a useful aid to the identification process. Once again this feature is not fully integrated with the birds database, as habitat types cannot be accessed directly from within species pages.
Breeding and Nest Module
This module provides a very good reference to nest types and nesting habits, and will usually enable one to easily identify a nest. you to. Photographs (not for all species) depict the various nest styles and as with all the other modules, its strength is the ease with which one can move between modules. This module is not fully integrated with the birds module, in the sense that the individual bird pages do not provide a link back to the nesting information.
Sounds Module
A handy innovation is the grouping of sounds into various categories. This will no doubt be an invaluable tool in identifying that mystery sound. This enables one to easily compare similar bird sounds, whether by loudness, pitch or dueting characteristics. When a sound is played, the illustration of the bird is also displayed. Species are listed in exclusive categories, so the Melodius Lark does not feature under mimicry.
Games Module
The games module provides a series of identification games, and can be played by up to four people. These games are a good way to improve ones knowledge of the birds of the region.
The CD-Rom is a valuable tool for beginner or serious birder, and probably an excellent way to get the kids interested in birds. It must be stated that this CD-Rom is a vey ambitious undertaking, particularly as regards the sheer volume of information the authors have tried to include. Perhaps this is why the first edition has a feel of incompleteness in a number of respects. While images are not as sharp as one expects from a good book, the interactive nature of the and novel organisation of sounds and identification features will make bird research and even identification a lot of fun, and will no doubt contribute to the growth of birding generally. I would recommend this CD-Rom to anyone who is serious about their birding, especially if they struggle to get other "computer literate" members of the family interested !
The CD-Rom has joined my Atlas, Sasol Larger illustrated Fieldguide and Guy Gibbon's sound recordings as my most used birding reference resources.
Given the amount of information on the
CD-Rom the retail price of R450-00 is reasonable. I got mine at the "Incredible
Connection" for R399-00. It can be ordered online at the link provided
below.
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e-mail: sabirdstuff@oocities.com |