To the smartphone apps David mentions, I would add - and highlight - the iBird line of bird guides:
http://ibird.com/ Available for many platforms, I find this the best designed field guide app, and the most used one on my iPhone. It has multiple recordings of most birds, and even shows waveforms of the song, which is much better than just verbal descriptions typical of many textual field guides that don't work for RK who raised the question here. And RK: if you are just getting into this, I would suggest subscribing to some local email listserv. Most local Audubon chapters and loca birdwatchingl groups throughout the US have email lists where people share observations and get help with identification of species they hear and see locally. For beginners, it is always best to find local bird experts to help with identification issues. Even when traveling to a new area for birding, it is common practice to look for and browse through local listservs (or yahoo or google groups) for recent observations and reports of rarities. I don't know where you live so I cannot recommend a particular list, but I'm sure you can find one with a little effort on google. Welcome to the joys of birdsong and birdwatching - you will never be bored as long as you have the passion to keep an ear cocked for the sounds of our feathered friends! :-) Madhu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Madhusudan Katti http://about.me/mkatti On Apr 12, 2013, at 8:55 AM, David Inouye <[email protected]> wrote: > If you have a smartphone, there are apps (some free, some not) such as > > <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zellenterprises.birdsongs&hl=en>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zellenterprises.birdsongs&hl=en > > > http://www.sibleyguides.com/about/the-sibley-eguide-to-birds-app/ > > <http://www.birds.cornell.edu/roundrobin/2011/07/22/new-500-bird-songs-free-to-play-on-mobile-devices/>http://www.birds.cornell.edu/roundrobin/2011/07/22/new-500-bird-songs-free-to-play-on-mobile-devices/ > > > http://www.brighthub.com/mobile/google-android/articles/81099.aspx
