Warbler Guy, what's Bird Genie and which bird apps are also a good idea to buy?

Joe (in Seattle)...Good question, as I often get asked by birders this same question.

As you may know already, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology recently published Bird Genie, an app that uses sound recognition to suggest the ID of birds after you record them.

It works well from reports I've read, but it's limited in the number of individuals that can correctly be identified.

For beginning birder, I imagine it's "cool," a wondrous invention.

But for evolved birders, I doubt much value can be secured.

Why?

Because their ears are typically trained for "ID By Ear" beyond the level of Bird Genie, in my humble opinion.

That's not to suggest future iterations of Bird Genie may not be worth buying.

It's simply the current version is not "Thumbs Up" yet for me to recommend.

Just my two cents....or, perhaps more apt: Just my SAVED two cents.
(I think Bird Genie is $9.99 (?) )

As for other apps, I use iBird Pro and Sibley Birds. Both are wonderful.

Regards and happy birding....Daniel Edelstein, Birding Guide & Avian Biologist (& College
Instructor), warblerwatch.com