Reviews of the
Thayer Birding Software
Guide to Birds of North America

Fan Mail From Users:

Ken S (Mac User) - I just wanted to say what a great application and help eViewer has been for me.  I waited a long time for you to put this product on the market and the wait was well worth it!!!  I have two computers one that I use at work that runs on 10.5 and my one at home that runs on 10.4.11 Mac OSX.  I am finally getting the update for 10.5 and am so excited.

I teach in Shishmaref, Alaska on northern side of the Seward Peninsula, we are more famous for erosion linked to climate change rather than birding but I am trying to get my students more interested because as we warm up we may see invasive species (I found some House Sparrows Passer domesticus that probably came over from Siberia, keeping an eye on that guy) or as the island erodes see species quit using our island as habitat due to competition.

Your software helped me identify some birds that I didn't have identified before and allowed me to correctly identify some I had misidentified.  The quizzes have been great and I really like the feature of being able to download "quizzes" from Victor Emanuel Nature Tour's list of birds for their different trips to Alaska [Forums]. Excellent product!!!

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Darlene R - I might add that I really liked my old program but this one (v3.9) is just AWESOME!  Thanks for making my bird watching even more enjoyable. 

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Edward S - Your latest version 3.9 is OUTSTANDING. EXTREMELY DETAILED, CONCISE AND THOROUGH. Several terrific features, such as being able to compare two birds at once, picturing nests and eggs and providing fun assignments. The absolute BEST PRODUCT of its information/type ANYWHERE.

Harry B (from the UK) - What can I say? I thought the CLO Guide V3.1.2 was and is, terrific. This latest version is even better than that. You have created a product to be proud of and I have always exhorted birders to buy your product, as a preliminary to going to North America. Much more so now, believe me. I cannot thank you enough for your resolution to the problem I was having and particularly, the prompt manner in which you did it. Really; Thank you so much.

Robert W (Chancellor Emeritus, University of Missouri--Columbia) - I had the pleasure of visiting with you briefly by telephone earlier this morning, and I want to thank you for time and courtesy that you so graciously extend to your customers.  In this day and age, I have come to expect an automated answering system that generally ends in frustration after some ten to twenty futile minutes of holding and being transferred.  To have Pete Thayer on the line within a minute is truly remarkable and a tribute to the quality firm that you have built.

I also want to say how grateful I am for the product that you produce.  I started very amateur bird-watching about five years ago, as I was preparing for retirement.  It has turned into a passion for me, and my only regret is that I waited so late in life to get started.  This brings me to your software.  I installed the first version, Birds of My Region, about two weeks ago and quickly decided that the upgrade to Guide to Birds of North America is a super bargain.  The quality and variety of pictures of any one species are remarkable, and the Guide has an unbelievably rich array of other information about birds.  Birding is not easy, though a great pleasure, and, after just two weeks, I know that your Guide will make my birding both much easier and even more fun.

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Peter S - Thanks for the great work... I have gotten immense enjoyment out of your efforts.

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Don G - While sitting at the dinner table at a friend's home in upstate Minnesota, we heard the call of a Pileated Woodpecker in a tree a few houses away. I started my laptop and 'Birds of North America' which includes the vocalizations of birds from Cornell  Laboratory of Ornithology. I played the Pileated Woodpecker sound and immediately got a response. When I played the sound the second time a flurry of wings crossed the deck. A very agitated woodpecker landed on the bird feeder and began rapping on its roof. I grabbed my camera and captured the irate bird. What fun. Did the same with the Baltimore and Orchard Orioles.

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Mandy M - I love your birding software - we use it often here at the Forest Resource Education Center in New Jersey. Being able to download the calls will be especially helpful in our interpretive programs. We'll be able to take the MP3 player out on the trail for the visitors to identify the calls.

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Lyn F - First, I thank you for offering this upgrade at a price that is most reasonable. I have been using this software for over five years now, including numerous upgrades, and simply can't "live" without it! My initial splurge to buy the software has been paid off in years of quick IDs and information. My computer goes everywhere I go so I always have my birding "books" with me. I recommend this software to all I meet who enjoy birds. Thank you for a great product!

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Debra L - Thank you for the great birding software.  It has been tremendously helpful in learning to identify bird species.

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Gail -  I love GBNA and have installed a copy on my desktop and another on my laptop. I really appreciate the new license that makes it easy to upgrade my hard drives and have an install on each computer I own as long as I only use one copy at a time.  Since I'm a geek, I upgrade hardware fairly often. It is nice not to worry about reinstalling, though to your credit, an e-mail cleared things up right away on the old version when I upgraded my motherboard and did a clean install of Windows, -- your company is so responsive. I had no problem removing the old version from my old laptop and putting it on my new laptop this spring, either. I mentioned that to some of my geek friends and they all agreed that this license model is superb and gives the customer a great value.

Anyway, thanks for your kind reply and you have one loyal customer here.  I certainly have gone back to our local Wild Birds Unlimited, where I bought my original copy of "Our Birds - California" and let the people there know how useful Thayer Bird guides are.  I especially appreciate the audio that allows me to confirm ID's aurally.  It is my primary bird guide, for sure.

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LeJay - I did a birding by ear workshop for the local Master Naturalist class. I used your program to do 50 local birds. Everyone there was amazed by the program. Several have bought it. I am planning on using 3.5 for a Mountaineer Aububon workshop to prepare beginners for the CBC. It is a great teaching tool.

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Marie L. - I am enjoying the new version you sent... on my laptop... and want to thank you for it. We have used it extensively and my husband, who never used the older version, loves it. When we were at Cape May last week, the computer and software you donated was on display. He sat down and promptly gave a demonstration and an endorsement.

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L. W. G. - It was a pleasure to speak with you today!  As an amateur birder with only 2 years of experience, I can tell you that your software is a treasured resource.  By combining sight and sound into one experience, I have learned very quickly and will continue to do so.  I started with your Colorado edition and have upgraded to the North American licensing, in order to accomodate the migratory birds we often find at Barr Lake.

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Ruth S - For my Master's study at Central Missouri State University, I am studying the use of the Blue River Parkway in Kansas City by resident and migratory birds from April thru June this year and next. We want to show the importance of urban natural areas as refuges for birds. I record all the birds that I see and/or hear from sunrise til about 10:30 or 11:00. I have three pairs of 1 kilometer transects and do each pair once a week.

I use Birds of NA to study and record the songs of birds that I think that I will encounter or that I get confused over. I use a little handheld recorder to listen and compare to what I'm hearing in the field. When I get home I also check for songs and ID's that I was unsure of in the field that weren't on the tape player. Now that the field work is over for this year, I am using your software to make sure I am using the correct band code to enter my sightings.

I also work at Backyard Bird Center in KC. We have just installed a wall mounted flat computer screen by the front desk. During the day we use your software to play different looped quizzes so that people can see the pictures and hear the recordings. We can also demonstrate other aspects of the product with out having to stop the register program. Thanks for all your help and your wonderful product!

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Mark M - I have been using Birds of North America for several years and love it's versatility. As a store owner it is a great product that I believe in and can recommend with confidence to customers. As a naturalist, I use it constantly to conduct programs on all types of birding and bird ID lessons. Perhaps my favorite use over the years has been while leading birding trips to various locations around the country. A couple of years ago, our group had a three hour drive across Colorado. I fired up my laptop and loaded the birds of Colorado Trip Quiz I had created and we "quizzed" ourselves on songs of birds that we should hear at our next destination. The group loved it and it certainly made the time go by faster. Thanks again for such a wonderful product.

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Jeff J - Truly state of the art. I have shown it to everyone and it blows their socks off. For birders, the photos and song quality are unparalleled! Great job!

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Renae T. - I just wanted you to know how much pleasure I get from the software I purchased. I show it to everyone who comes to our area. Thank you for poducing this marvelous resource.

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Jim W. - I am working with 5 elementary school students to take them to the World Series of Birding on May 13. One of their favorite ways to study the birds is to gather around the monitor and take one of the many, many birding quizzes that are a part of the package. Thanks for a great product.

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Ann A - I just wanted to relay a belated thanks to you and any others responsible for the Guide to Birds of N. America v.3, software. I used it (and a Sibley guide) in 2002 and 2003 as a volunteer coach to prepare my son and another middle school student for the "Feathered Frenzy" event in the South Carolina Science Olympiad competition. The Feathered Frenzy event includes visual identification, recognition of bird calls, knowledge of taxonomic and habitat information, etc. All three of us were novices to birding when we began. In Spring 2002 these two students placed second at the state level in this event, and in Spring 2003 they placed first. It so happened that their school team placed first in the state competition in 2003 for the first time in many years, and therefore we went to the National Science Olympiad competition in May. The Feathered Frenzy event at the national level did not intimidate these two students at all, and they placed solidly in the center of the pack against some of the best science students in the nation. We felt that drilling with the software, together and individually, helped all three of us learn a lot about birds in a relatively short amount of time.

I also used the software to help identify birds when I participated in Project Feeder Watch the last two years in South Carolina, and now that we have moved to Alabama, will use it to get to know any birds here that are new to me when this season's Feeder Watch begins. Thanks again for a great product.

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James S - I find this software very useful in teaching a class on birds to senior citizens at the Tarrant County College here in Texas.

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Dr. Jessica Y - Hi, I just wanted to tell you how wonderful your previous CD has been for my ornithology class.  In my class, a portion of the students grades for the practicals are based on their group's abilities to teach their colleagues 15 local birds (for a total of 75). The students love creating quizzes from your software and using it to teach each other.

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Tracy K - I'm sure I have yet to try out all the features, but I can say that many of the changes from the BNA2.5 are much appreciated (viewing all info on one page in the Field Guide View, improved photos, improved spectrogram, Similar Species View, Family Plate, Names in Foreign Languages, and even Petey the Parrot). Also thanks for providing the opportunity to custom install everything to my hard drive so I do not have to run off the CD. Thanks for such a wonderful product! (Can't wait for the new version of Birder's Diary!!!!)

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Shawn S - I have just got GBNA version 3.1.2 up and running on an I-Mac, using virtual PC -XP Home, version 6. So far, so good, even managed to do the download from the website to upgrade it. Thanks for the great product and for having patience with Mac users!

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Terrill S - You have done a fantastic job. Really amazing.

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Bill  P - I just spotted a pair of Greater White-fronted Geese on a creek in our area, and I confirmed the sighting with Peterson, Sibley and Thayer. Your new guide is superb, even better than your old one.

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John W - Thanks for producing such a great product. I had previously used the National Audubon Interactive CD-ROM and was somewhat disappointed. So far, your product has exceeded my expectations. I particularly appreciate the updates and additional information made available at no extra charge.

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Christine Goff - It was great to have an opportunity to meet you at Birdwatch America in Atlanta. I just wanted you to know that what I told you was true -- I always consult my Thayer's Birding Software "Birds of North America" before checking anywhere else when researching birds. I write the Birdwatcher's Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, and as a writer I've used many reference tools. The Thayer's software reigns supreme. Thanks!
(Author of A Rant of Ravens, Berkley, October 2000; Death of a Songbird, Berkley, July 2001; and A Nest in the Ashes, Berkley, May 2002.)

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Don P - As noted, this is installed on my 2nd computer.  The other was on the computer at my vacation home.  I am not connected to the internet with that one and sent in the request by regular mail last week.  I must say, this program is the best I've used.  So much info on one screen.   All the photography is awesome.  The enlargements are so crisp.  Again, a great program and I wish you folks well with it.

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Charlotte N - Last December the school I work for, Niskayuna High School hosted a Science Olympiad Competition for local high school students in upstate New York. Science Olympiad is a national organization that encourages students to use their science skills to compete with other students in either written competitions or building competitions. One of the events held is called Feathered Frenzy. Students must identify twenty birds by sight or sound and describe the ecology of several birds. Since I am a co-coach of our team, I had to create this event for the competition. I used Thayer's Birds of North America CD that was given to me by my mother-in-law. The CD was a big hit with the students and other coaches who observed the event.

It was very user friendly and perfect for this competition. In February we had a regional competition where our team placed second in the Feathered Frenzy event out of twenty-two schools. They place third overall and now we are heading to West Point Academy on March 24th for the State Competition. My team has been studying using Mr. Thayer's CD and say this should really give them a good chance of getting gold at States. I am sure with this wonderful CD we have a very good chance of achieving their goal.

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Gary H - Bottom Line: An already exceptional product has been made even better…no self-respecting birder should be without The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Guide to Birds of North America Version 3…you will learn much, and have a lot of fun doing it.  Highly recommended.

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Susan T, Library Director - Thought you all might like to see the attached newsletter praising the Thayer software we've installed on our public-access computer.

While you're in the library, take a look at our growing collection of bird-related materials. In addition to a wide array of books, both circulating and reference works, we recently installed an awesome bird identification program (by Thayer) on one of the library's public-assess computers. Using this software, we've assembled a quiz, in-house, specific to the birds of Bandera County. It displays a photo of each species and its characteristic call, then identifies it (a kind of flash-card refresher for bird enthusiasts). With Dawn's assistance, we plan to further refine this customized quiz, creating segments for winter, migrating, summer and year-round species.

Today we had a crowd in to hear the talk also mentioned in the newsletter, and we had Bandera County's chirping birds in the background. Everyone who looked at the program was MOST excited with it... we're a birder's paradise, with such species as golden-cheeked warbler, painted bunting, black-capped vireo, scissor-tail flycatcher and on and on.  Thanks for a nifty program.

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Cliff M, Birds & Blooms - Thanks for the copy of your CD-ROM. We liked it. The pics are great and Petey is fun/educational. What a great way to learn about birds. There's a tremendous amount of work here and very usable. I think you've got a hit on your hands.

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Joseph W - Downloaded Wizard 2 large file and 100 pictures. It was well worth the wait. Excellent, Thank You. I know of no other software that is upgraded as yours is. You make your programs the best anyone could buy. Thanks again.

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Stan R - The docents in the Dunes Center in Guadalupe use the Guide to Birds of North America CD (version 3.1.1) and find it to be an invaluable tool. The ability to make custom lists is a terrific aid in learning about the birds in our area. The program is chock full of superb photos, calls and information. Being able to compare birds side by side is another plus.

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Bill T - I just returned from Shaker Heights, Ohio and wanted to share with you another HOMERUN for your Birds CD. My presentation was at the all girls, Laurel School. In the first class of about 50, pre-schoolers, 3 1/2 to 5, I selected 12 different birds and recorded their sounds for playback. The Red-Winged Blackbird, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove, Red Shouldered Hawk, Hummingbird, Mallard, Baltimore Oriole (Not the Cleveland Indians), Barn Owl Chicks (Our grandkids call them FUZZ BALLS), Long-Eared Owl, American Robin, Wild Turkey, Red-Headed Woodpecker. Each class lasted 30 minutes. The second group including my granddaughter, Pre-kindergarten, 4 1/2 to 5 1/2. The average class size is 12 students. We had 12 teacher's in attendance. They mentioned it was the best presentation they have had for these age groups. Each student had a picture of the bird we were discussing. I am retaining the audio portion for future use. Thanks again for providing this excellent teaching tool.

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Claudette M - Got the CD!  I installed it, registered it, and am thoroughly enjoying it.  In the end, I gave away the previous version.  Some things get better with age...like wine, women...and bird programs........    ;~)

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Robert D - I got Birds of Massachusetts for myself. Now I need to order another one for my grandson -- he loves it!

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Elaine D - Oh, such good info on your newsletter. Glad to hear you all survived [Hurricane] Charley.  It looked so vicious on the weather channel. I can't imagine the intensity of a storm like that having always lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  We get dandy blizzards in the winter but rarely do roofs come off. Your Thayer software is the BEST. I just love using it. I find it very user friendly but nice to know if I run amuck you'll have the answer.  I have recommended this software to many people.  The quizzes are fun, the life list and documenting birds is wonderful. I use it almost daily.  Keep the newsletter coming and I'll be anxious to see about the downloads.

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Terry L - You have a terrific software!  That's all there is to say...

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Sarah P - My Guide to Birds of North America is one of my greatest gifts from my husband, Bob.  I can not tell you how much I have learned and enjoy this CD. Thanks for producing it.
 
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Luanne H - Glad y'all survived [Hurricane] Charlie! By the way, as 'millions' of others, I love your software and use it a lot!

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Doug O - I went to Wild Birds Unlimited in Raleigh yesterday and asked for a product that does what your software does.  They DID NOT think such a product existed, but said they had a CD with pictures of birds on it, Our Birds - North Carolina.  I bought it and it does everything I could have hoped for!  I called them back and told them what a great product this was and that I was surprised they didn't know more about it.  I'm a beginner but I can't imagine that your product isn't orders of magnitude better than the traditional field guides and audio recordings.  Just my 2 cents worth.

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Dave W - Just want to say Thank You for the great job with Thayer Birding Software.  I have purchased 2 Birds of North America and an original Birders Diary from you and been very pleased with their operation. I have been so busy that I did not notice until today, that you would replace my CLO BNA 3.0.0 with a new updated copy.  That amazed me.  That is true customer service. I appreciate all your hard work on behalf of all birders. I will continue to recommend your products to all my friends and felow birders.

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Jacqualine K - I am a Animal Trainer & Animal Behaviorist for 43 years. I live and work in as Whisker Watchers, Inc. Animal Training/Behavior Modifications. I would like to share a wonderful story with you and Thayer Birding Company about how your software helped keep my neighborhood free from a Maraudering Murder of Crows. While working with your software Our Birds California a Murder of Crows frequently find our trees in the neighborhood. There must be minimum of 40 Crows to this Murder. I find them intelligent, crafty, with much tenacity and noisy. I decided to try your hawk sound to move this Murder from my area. I picked the Red Tail Hawk (we have lots of these wonderful Hawks in my area). Moved the volume up real high, and clicked on the loop of the sound track for the Red Tail Hawk, moved the volume up a little more. Within, 2 minutes the Murder of Crows left the area. The first minute seemed that the Crows were listening to maybe where that Hawk was and decided that it was in fact to close for comfort. This Murder of Crows were over 1/2 block away from my home. I did watch them in the trees with my binoculars. I did not open my windows, I just moved the volume up on my computer(Birds and Animals can hear for miles unlike humans) and then a little more and "Voila" my Murder of Crows left.

The next time the Crows came into the neighborhood was 2 weeks later not as many however, just as noisy with less Crows. This time I ran to the computer and brought up my wonderful Red Tailed Hawk. Again, I played it the same way as the first time. Within 2 minutes or less the Murder of Crows had taken off to another neighborhood. This Murder of Crows were 4 blocks away from my home. I am going to tape a sound of another Hawk and play the tape in our main Central Park in my area to see if this does work anywhere. I will bring back the news about this experiment and how it worked in the greater outdoors. The Central Park has different Hawks in it's area. So I will be trying the Hawk that is appropriate for this experiment and area.

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Jim S - I travel all over the country and a lot of people know that Phoebe (my wife) and I are birders.  I'm always getting questions about "I saw this bird in my back yard, what is it?".  I turn on your software and then go through the steps and usually are successful in helping them find their mystery bird.  Thanks for what you do.

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Stacy - I LOVE this software, and I consider it the most complete source for birding.  Can't curl up in bed with it, but the recordings make up for that!

John S - I work for the Wild Birds Unlimited store here in Little Rock and promote your software at every opportunity.  I really enjoy it.  Keep up the good work.