WHAT'S INCLUDED AND WHAT'S NOT;

AN OVERVIEW (Updated: 9-30-99)

Listing software are "relational databases" into which observational (sight or sound) data are input (entered) to be used to produce various lists (usually without much data) and reports (usually with a lot of data). They are "relational" because the data can be grouped (related to) other data and/or criteria. Most are for birds. However, some accept butterfly, dragonfly/damselfly, and herp (reptiles and amphibians) entries; and one permits you to create your own species lists. Not included are programs such as Peterson's Multimedia Guides: North American Birds or National Audubon Society's Interactive CD-ROM Guide to North American Birds as these only permit the recording of species sighted (usually one per species), and lack the ability to generate a variety of lists/reports, the essence of true listing programs.

All the programs I review are designed for Windows operating systems. In fact, very little natural history software is designed for Macs, although emulation programs permit (often at greatly reduced speed) Windows software to be run on that system.

Listing programs are necessarily more complex than instructional programs. Thus, I can not realistically provide the same degree of "how to" information for them as I do in my other reviews. Were I to do this, I would have to write an instruction manual/user guide for each. This would result in virtually none of you reading the reviews as they would be largely meaningless. Even so, these reviews are lengthy because the programs warrant detailed discussions, and because potential purchasers deserve to know what each can and can not do.

Unlike instructional programs, the listing software reviewed so far are all good. Currently, (in alphabetical order) the listing programs with which I am familiar are AviSys, BirdBase/BirdArea, (Thayer's) Birder's Diary, and Lepilist (butterflies only). (Others exist, and I will report on them as I become familiar with each.) They typically contain some range information, and many permit editing, adding, and deleting of families, species, and/or range data. They differ in how they accept, arrange, and display entries; the taxonomies (list of birds from which to select) used; the completeness of the range information offered; their ease of use, and whether they are part of (or can be used with) software.

AviSys is fast and facilitates customized listings/reports, especially useful to researchers. It permits the use Santa Barbara Software Production's BirdArea (by far the best world-wide bird range data information available), and direct access to the nominate portion of Thayer's Birds of North America (the best ABA area instructional program available). AviSys identifies duplicate entries; offers butterfly, dragonfly, damselfly, and herp lists as a free download; and permits the creation of other lists. Unlike its birding lists, these others are limited to species occurring in North America north of Mexico, and do not include range information (very little of which is available anywhere). All of its lists permit you to edit, add, and/or delete families and species, although moving groups is tedious. The ability to add species and families is very useful given such books as the Butterflies of Costa Rica and our propensity to travel to new areas. (AviSys, as is true of the other programs, periodically offers free updates on its web-site.) A new option allows you to convert your BirdBase entries to AviSys.

BirdBase offers enough list/report options to satisfy many birders, and requires relatively few choices. As with the other listing programs, problems and other situations are periodically addressed in free updates from its web-site. When BirdBase is used by itself, it does not offer range information. However, when combined with BirdArea (they are offered as a package), the range information is added (and is the best range data currently available). My favorite list/report is the 16 day, regional checklist showing the species I have seen only in the selected region, those I have seen but not in that region, those I have seen both in and not in that region, and those I have not seen anywhere (all via simple, one letter codes).

Thayer's Birder's Diary has many pre-determined options, comes with four taxonomies, and has a mapping routine to visually locate U.S. sightings. (It also offers a routine which allows the transfer of entries from AviSys and BirdBase/BirdArea into itself.) It permits the easy use of virtually unlimited observers, and is part of a larger package (when combined with Thayer's Birds of North America). However, Birder's Diary is very slow (a factor becoming less significant as faster computers become available), and all too often has to correct bugs.

Lepilist, is a butterfly only listing program from Santa Barbara Software Products (which makes BirdBase/BirdArea); and covers North American butterflies using the same format as BirdBase. Anyone who can use Bird/Base can use Lepilist. However, it does not offer any range data (nor can any be added).

The web-sites for these programs are:

In preparing these reviews, it became apparent that each program offers more features than any individual is likely to use. Thus, although I have done what I could to learn their intricacies, I do not pretend to have mastered them. Thus, I sent draft copies of my reviews to the respective manufacturers asking for their comments and suggestions. This they did (often in great detail). While I have not accepted all of their comments or suggestions, I have seriously considered them all and have made substantial modifications based upon their responses (all of which I have independently verified).

Since I wrote the first of these reviews in the Autumn of 1998, all of the above have made substantial improvements.

In summary, you can not go wrong regardless of which you choose. However, for the reasons detailed in the reviews, AviSys combined with BirdArea is the pick of the current crop.