RFK Edition 8 vs Pizzey and Knight Birds of Aus Usage & Stats

The release of Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK 8) represents another significant milestone in the development of this information system for identifying and learning about plants in Australian tropical rainforests. Each edition of the system since 1971 has made significant advances in the coverage of plant groups, the numbers of species included, the effectiveness of the identification system, and in the utilisation of current technology. As always, the aim of this new edition is to enable as many people as possible to simply and accurately identify and learn about plants in Australia’s tropical rainforests. What is new? The main goal for Edition 8 of Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants was to move to a mobile application platform that is available both online and downloadable to electronic devices. The coverage of the key includes the rainforests of the whole of the Australian tropics. A second goal was to continue adding taxa from regions already covered that had not been included in previous editions primarily due to lack of specimens for coding, and to update the nomenclature and distribution information for all taxa as required. Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 includes 2762 taxa in 176 families and 48 new name changes. All flowering plant species are included - trees, shrubs, vines, forbs, grasses and sedges, epiphytes, palms and pandans – except most orchids which are treated in a separate key (see below), and a few other species for which specimens suitable for coding features are lacking. All rainforest orchids are included in a dedicated orchid module (Australian Tropical Rainforest Orchids) now also delivered online. The need for a separate module was due to the unique morphology of the Orchidaceae family and the distinct set of features required for effective identification to species level. Nine species of orchid have been included within RFK8, mainly terrestrial species that reach more than one metre in height, or climbers. Similarly, the ferns are currently under development as a separate module, Ferns of Northern Australia. Again, the unique morphology, terminology and features required for effective identification of ferns have dictated that a stand-alone module be developed. The number of images in the key continues to increase, now numbering over 14,000. Most of images were gathered by CSIRO staff as part of this long-running research project. Significant numbers of new images have been provided by various photographers listed in the Acknowledgements section, most notably Garry Sankowsky, Steve Pearson, John Dowe and Russell Barrett. All donors of images for this project are gratefully acknowledged.

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Pizzey and Knight Birds of Aus

The PIZZEY AND KNIGHT BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Digital Edition for iPhone and iPad is a comprehensive and interactive application that combines images and sounds on over 980 Australian bird species with seven interactive modules for every aspect of mobile birding. A slide menu facilitates easy navigation between all modules. The app can be used as a FIELD GUIDE (like the book) or as a BIRD LIST, with essential functions such as view bird page, distribution map or text, play the sound, add to your list, and view similar birds available directly in both. The FIELD GUIDE displays the full field guide (family) pages of the book. You can browse the pages, select from the family list, or search for a specific species in the bird list. Selecting a bird links to the full functions toolbar. The BIRD GUIDE includes a full bird list and links to individual BIRD PAGES for over 980 species, with illustrations, species text, colour-coded distribution maps, photographs and sounds. Selecting a bird in the list opens the full functions toolbar. Optional settings for the BIRD LIST include regional lists, alphabetical or taxonomic sort order, text and thumbnail size, and bird names in 10 languages including English, Scientific, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Potuguese, Spanish, Swedish. SIMILAR BIRDS loads a list of birds for comparison and identification. COMPARE BIRDS displays the bird pages side by side for direct comparison. IDENTIFICATION uses location, habitat, bird shapes and plumage to shortlist possible species for identification, or viewing with the Compare Birds function. MY LOCATION is an interactive map for generating bird lists and locating birding sites near you. You can use current location or drop a pin for a new location with GPS co-ords and bird list. Birding sites are displayed with links to a list and site description. MY LISTS is a personal list manager that includes a life list and sub-lists that report to your life list. Sighting details include place, date, GPS co-ords, and sighting notes. You can sync your lists to iCloud for backup, and also sync to linked devices. The SIGHTINGS SUMMARY for a selected species displays a list of sightings or sighting localities on a map. BIRDING SITES includes descriptions and photos of over 270 birding sites from around Australia, with functions for a bird list and ‘show on map’. MY PHOTOS links your personal bird photos to your sightings and lists, displays thumbnails on the bird pages and links to a photo viewer. BIRD GAMES to both learn and test your skills. Game levels include BEGINNER, BIRDER, TWITCHER, and SOUND. Start with 50 free rounds and use the in-app-purchase to continue. The MULTIMEDIA DATA includes • over 250 field-guide pages • over 980 individual bird pages • all the ‘new’ bird species and names • over 2500 illustrations, 4000 photos, and 1500 bird sounds • colour-coded distribution maps • seasonal status bar • endemic and red data species • rare bird maps. # This app can be used in the bush and remote locations. It does NOT require a wifi, phone or internet connection to operate.