BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 10, 2025
For the last century, birders have relied on books to increase their knowledge and improve their field identification skills. Smartphones and the internet are rapidly changing that. It’s a tough adjustment. I appreciate apps like Merlin, eBird and iNaturalist, but I still prefer to make my own mistakes rather than let AI do the work. Nonetheless, modern technology has its advantages. I have David Sibley’s “Birds of North America” downloaded on my smartphone. I routinely look up birds online at AllAboutBirds.org. I recently enjoyed a superb webinar through the Cornell Lab on confusing fall warbler identification. I started a YouTube channel because birds give off more ID clues than AI can reliably process. I’ve posted about 130 videos so far. My channel is approaching a million views and 14,000 subscribers. Ultimately, my message is always this: birding is easier, more fun and more accessible than you think. ~ Bob Duchesne