{"id":19953,"date":"2015-05-29T11:58:47","date_gmt":"2015-05-29T15:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=19953"},"modified":"2017-02-11T11:00:38","modified_gmt":"2017-02-11T16:00:38","slug":"5-great-features-of-the-warbler-guide-app-that-wont-fit-in-any-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/5-great-features-of-the-warbler-guide-app-that-wont-fit-in-any-book\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Great Features of the Warbler Guide App That Won't Fit in Any Book"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" id=\"hs-cta-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3.png\"  alt=\"New self-paced course: Learn How to Identify Bird Songs, Click to Learn More\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(95627, 'a8fe3c9a-217b-40fd-b1ff-2bb76ebe2cf3', {}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n<!--<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\">\r\n    <span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\" id=\"hs-cta-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\">-->\r\n        <!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]-->\r\n        <!--<a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\"  target=\"_blank\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd.png\"  alt=\"Join the Cornell Lab\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\r\n    <\/span>\r\n    <script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\r\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n        hbspt.cta.load(95627, '394b2cc2-4447-4677-b18b-d2f2de5b57cd', {});\r\n    <\/script>\r\n<\/span>-->\r\n<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Update: in early 2017 the Warbler Guide app became available for Android devices, in addition to iOS devices.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Warblers are a fascinating\u00a0mix of beauty and frustration: eye-popping color and sweet song, along with the\u00a0ability to disappear behind the smallest of\u00a0leaves\u00a0and to molt into head-scratching\u00a0plumages each fall. The Parulidae finally got the field-guide treatment they deserved\u00a0in 2013\u2014and <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.allaboutbirds.org\/2013\/09\/05\/review-new-warbler-guide-practically-sings-with-information-innovation\/\">we loved The Warbler Guide\u2019s\u00a0mix of information and innovation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But authors Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle didn\u2019t stop there. <a href=\"http:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/titles\/10416.html\">The Warbler Guide app<\/a> followed in late 2014. The app is far more than a straight\u00a0repackaging of the printed content. It\u00a0does feature\u00a0a huge amount of information from the book\u2014all of the photos, the quick finders, the ID text, comparison species, ageing and sexing guides, and song info\u2014but it adds imaginative and really useful functions that are only possible in a digital format. Here\u2019s a rundown of what the app lets you do:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Compare 2 species from any angle using 3-D models<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"434\" class=\" size-full wp-image-19955 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3d.jpg\" alt=\"3D models of warblers\" \/>You had me at \u201c3-D models.\u201d This is the kind of thing we used to dream about when flipping through field guides\u2014a way to free those illustrations from their static, side-on poses and rotate an entire bird left, right, up, down, until it was in the exact position you saw it in (usually, for me, a 3\/4 view of the belly and undertail coverts).<\/p>\n<p>These rotatable views are probably the coolest feature of the app\u2014<em>especially<\/em>since you can do it with two birds at a time to compare exactly what\u2019s different.<\/p>\n<p>Put it this way: we now live in a world where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/video.php?v=924912920852677&amp;set=vb.691910680819570&amp;type=2&amp;theater\">a Golden-winged Warbler can dance to a Kanye song<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>How-to:<\/em>\u00a0From the species finder, select a warbler species. When its page opens, swipe until you see the bird in profile, then tap the\u00a0\u201c3D\u201d icon that appears in the upper right of your screen.\u00a0To compare two similar species, select a comparison species, make sure you\u2019re on the profile view, and then tap the 3D button to bring up a split screen. Then rotate to your heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Narrow down using\u00a0plumage and song clues simultaneously, using\u00a0the Filter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Filtering tools are a pretty common way for digital field guides to help you find\u00a0what you\u2019re looking for. But one thing makes the Warbler Guide\u2019s filter special: you can add together plumage and song clues into a single filtered list of possibilities. This works nicely for the classic\u00a0warbler-viewing experience, where you hear the bird singing but strain to get a clear view of anything more than the belly. For example, if your\u00a0warbler is camped out behind a leaf and all you can get is a black back and a rising song, the filter can still narrow it down to just one bird.<\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19956 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/filter.jpg\" alt=\"using the filter in the warbler guide app for bird id\" width=\"600\" height=\"396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/filter.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/filter-480x317.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>How-to:<\/em> tap the \u201cFilter\u201d icon in the top right of your screen. On an iPad, a Filter tray will slide out from the left side of the screen. On an iPhone, the Filter tray will take over the whole screen.\u00a0Tap on a part of a bird to select the color or markings you saw, and\/or\u00a0tap to select the sound qualities you heard. On an iPad, the warbler list will update\u00a0as you select items; on an iPhone just tap on the Filter icon again to show the list of possible species.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tip:<\/em> keep to a low number of filtered items at first. This will narrow the list of possibilities but will reduce the chance you\u2019ll wind up with\u00a0no choices\u00a0(for instance, if you judge a color or sound differently than the app\u2019s authors did). You can always add items to the filter as you go.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Listen to lots of song recordings\u2014each one with a s<\/strong><strong>pectrogram<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You do at least 50 percent of your warbler watching with your ears. Songs help you zero in on a target species, or find those elusive rascals as they flit from the top of one leaf to the top of the\u00a0next. Both the Warbler Guide book and the app go the extra mile to provide excellent help with learning songs.<\/p>\n<p>One of the great benefits of an app over a book is the ability to play sounds rather than resort to written evocations such as \u201csweet, sweet, sweet, I\u2019m so sweet.\u201d (I am\u00a0a big fan of the Warbler Guide\u2019s haiku-esque song descriptions, but actual recordings are still preferable.) The Warbler Guide app goes further, compiling up to a dozen song variations and chip notes for each species (recordings are from our own <a href=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\">Macaulay Library<\/a>). And each one comes with its own spectrogram\u2014a tried-and-tested but criminally underused tool invented by\u00a0bioacousticians. A spectrogram is a\u00a0graph of pitch versus time\u2014it lets you use your eyes to learn sounds. (If you\u2019re new to spectrograms, our <a href=\"http:\/\/biology.allaboutbirds.org\/features\/bird-song-hero\/bird-song-hero-tutorial\">Bird Song Hero<\/a> game is a fun introduction to them.)<\/p>\n<p><em>How-to:<\/em>\u00a0You can play songs straight from the list of warbler species, or you can play them from the Songs tab in each species profile. Tap the musical-note icon that appears under the images of male warblers.\u00a0This brings up a list of calls and songs. Tap on the carat at the top to display a detailed description of the song\u2019s makeup. Tap on an entry in the list to play that song. The text at the top changes to display the spectrogram and text specific to that recording.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19957 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/sound.jpg\" alt=\"browsing the many sound and song features of the warbler guide app\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/sound.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/sound-480x312.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>4. Not just similar species\u2014similar-<em>sounding<\/em> species<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Going all the way back to the great Peterson guides, one of the most useful parts of a field guide is the similar species section. This is where the reader gets to lean on the expertise of the author, learning both which species you should\u00a0worry about and how you tell the difference. The Warbler Guide app can help\u00a0you with similar-looking species. But it goes further, pointing out similar-sounding species as well. Their explanations are incredibly specific, too\u2014similar-sounding species are compared on a song-by-song basis.<\/p>\n<p><em>How-to:<\/em> To see comparison songs, you\u2019ll need to choose a warbler species and go to its species account. Tap the Songs tab and select a song. A list of species with similar songs appears below. Tap to play a song in this list, and the spectrogram appears along with text telling you how this song differs from the song\u00a0you\u2019re comparing it to.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Learn a song\u2019s details by slowing it down to half-speed<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Guitarists have for years been slowing down recordings so they can learn the secrets of fleet-fingered heroes like Stevie Ray Vaughan or\u00a0Bonnie Raitt. Now it\u2019s our turn. And because we live in a digital age, it\u2019s even\u00a0possible to slow down a recording without lowering its pitch. The notes sound the same, they just come at you slower, so you can concentrate on the details. For reference, musicians pay around $15\u2014more than the Warbler Guide\u2014for an app whose sole function is slowing down music. That\u2019s with\u00a0no recordings, no expert text, no\u00a0colorful, rotatable warblers. This feature is yet another example of how the Warbler Guide authors went above and beyond expectations with this app.<\/p>\n<p><em>How-to:<\/em> From any song list, choose a song and press the Play icon. The song will begin to play, but you\u2019ll also see three new buttons appear. Tapping the middle one (1\/2) will start the song over and play it at half speed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A few final\u00a0notes about the app<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Warbler Guide app is only available on iOS devices at present <strong>(update: an\u00a0Android version of the app launched in early 2017)<\/strong>. The app works just fine on an iPhone, although the larger screen of an iPad makes it easier to use features like the Filter. According to Stephenson, the sweet spot in terms of screen size vs. portability is an iPad Mini or an iPhone 6+. The text is\u00a0small enough on an iPhone that older users (such as this reviewer) may find themselves reaching for their glasses (although it\u2019s still more readable than the text in the second edition Sibley guide). And finally, you\u2019ll need to get used to the fact that the app does not have a search bar. Fortunately, the app is limited to just warblers; it\u2019s easy just to scroll down the alphabetic list of warblers to the one you\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bonus: Video\u00a0tutorials can help you find these hidden features and more<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We highly recommend\u00a0the Warbler Guide app to anyone with an interest in seeing, hearing, and learning the 50-odd warbler species in North America. Do bear in mind, however, that\u2014like the book\u2014the app has so much packed into it\u00a0that it can be hard to find\u00a0your\u00a0way to all of its features. To help users deal with this, the authors prepared some <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewarblerguide.com\/app\">helpful video demonstrations to get you up and running<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As Stephenson and Whittle are fond of saying, Happy Warblering!<\/p>\n<p><strong>More about warbler identification:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/review-new-warbler-guide-practically-sings-with-information-innovation\/\">Review: New Warbler Guide Practically Sings With Information, Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/how-to-listen-to-bird-song-tips-and-examples-from-the-warbler-guide\/\">How to Listen to\u00a0Bird Song\u2014Tips From the Warbler Guide Authors<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Video: Our expert tips for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GHpTePiVIc0\">finding and enjoying warblers<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The Warbler Guide at <a href=\"http:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/titles\/9968.html\">Princeton University Press<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>(Warbler Guide screen images courtesy Tom Stephenson\/Scott Whittle.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Update: in early 2017 the Warbler Guide app became available for Android devices, in addition to iOS devices. Warblers are a fascinating\u00a0mix of beauty and frustration: eye-popping color and sweet<a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/5-great-features-of-the-warbler-guide-app-that-wont-fit-in-any-book\/\" title=\"Read5 Great Features of the Warbler Guide App That Won&#8217;t Fit in Any Book\">&#8230; Read more 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