About the request for "reviews" of CD-ROM birding guides: The Thayer's
"Birds of North America" has already been recommended. I have used it for
several months now and am reasonably happy with it also. It has an easy
interface, and gives stock "vireo" photos of most of the birds, a range map,
a short habitat description, and a recording of the song. I use it mainly
for relating the song to a bird picture. Complaints I have heard in the past
(on tweeters if I recall) are that it seems a little optimistic about the
number of species likely to be seen in North America and (and this is its
biggest weakness in my book) it only shows photos of males.

One thing to think about-- in Audubon and Birder's World magazines there are
new advertisements for a CD-ROM guide based on the Audubon birding guides.
Its called "National Audubon Society Interactive CD-ROM Guide to North
American Birds". Cost is $56.95 plus $3.00 shipping if ordered by phone
(1-800-793-2665). From the ads this must be a brand new CD, and, also from
the ads, it looks interesting (migration maps, a sort of database filter you
apparently would use to put factors like habitat, general shape, etc,
together to narrow down and solve an identification question, life lists,
trip planners,so on and so forth). I'd like to know if anyone has any
experience with it, I.E.-- if its any good.
-------------------------------------
Name: Jerry Broadus
jbroadus at seanet.com
901-16th. St S.W.
Puyallup, Wa. 98371
206-845-3156
06/01/96
10:20:04