ROAD TEST

The call of the frequent flier

The morning breaks to the sound of a chirp. Or maybe it’s more of twitter. Perhaps it’s a chirp, chirp, twitter. What’s that? A wren? A sparrow? A grosbeak? You don’t have to be a bird lover to be fascinated by these songs and calls. While on the road, you may come across a hoarse squawk or lilting melody that you can’t place. With these new digital devices, you can learn the names, hear the songs and see pictures of hundreds of birds at the touch of a button. We tested three devices that match faces with those sounds.

NAME THAT HOOT

First look: “Bird Songs” by bird biologist Les Beletsky is an oversized, full-color field guide to 250 North American birds. But Beletsky and the book’s publishers added a cool accessory: a handy digital audio player that plays songs and calls of the birds in the book. Turn to the page of, say, the spotted owl, and you’ll see a number printed on the page. Dial up that number on the audio player and you’ll hear the “hoot, hoot, hoot” of a spotted owl as recorded by the famed Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Likes and yikes: Each page includes the ecology and behavior of a bird, along with color plates and a description of each bird’s song or call. The information is concise and interesting, a plus for novice bird lovers. The book itself, however, may be too big (11 inches square) to carry around in the field.

411: $45, available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and other major booksellers. Info: Chronicle Books, (800) 722-6657

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BIRD IN THE HAND

First look: The Birdsong IdentiFlyer is a hand-held device the size of a notepad. You slide a plastic song card through a slot in the top and push one of 10 buttons that correspond with the bird picture on the card. A small speaker at the bottom of the device emits the songs or calls of the bird. More than 20 cards are available, each playing 10 sounds, organized in groups such as “yard birds,” “raptors” or “songbirds.”

Likes and yikes: The IdentiFlyer is easy to use and small enough to be stuffed in a pocket or a backpack. A great product for beginners or those who just want to identify birds in the backyard. The IdentiFlyer is probably not ideal for advanced birders because the cards provide limited information.

411: $34.95 available at REI, Wild Birds Unlimited stores and at (877) 261-6556 or www.identiflyer.com.

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DOWNLOAD AND SING ALONG

First look: Birdjam is software that downloads into your Apple iPod. Instead of playing the latest Green Day tunes, your iPod now plays up to 650 North American bird melodies. The birds are arranged by family and habitat, just as your music might be organized by genre and artist. You scroll through the categories and names until you find the bird you are looking for.

Color photos of the more common birds appear on the screen when the song is played.

Likes and yikes: With about 650 bird sounds, this program is great for skilled birders. If you are a novice, however, it can be daunting trying to scroll through dozens of categories while you try to figure out if the bird you hear is a warbler or a thrush. Also, photos of the rare birds do not appear on the screen.

411: $99 for eastern and western North American birds (750 megabytes); $59 each for specific regions. Available at (800) 403-5524 or www.birdjam.com.

Hugo Martin