one of the most addictive apps I’ve found for the iPhone is Chirp! (USA and Europe versions available) which helps you identify birds based on song or appearance.
Your location is used to list birds by name or common-ness. Now when I hear an unusual bird call or song when I’m working, I’ll pop open Chirp and try to identify the bird.
In my neighborhood, besides the ubiquitous robins and crows, flickers are very common, and there are also a few sparrow varieties. Small hawks also frequent the area although I don’t see them as often (my parents saw one grab a field mouse the other day).
As the iPhone is really more pocket computer than an actual phone, this is an app that really shows the power of the platform. It’s great to be able to pull out the phone from your pocket and identify birds by appearance or song while out walking in the woods or the mountains. It is $2.99 in the App Store, and the lite version is free to try.
