Media Releases

The comical call of the Tasmanian native hen and the evocative cry of the black currawong are featured along with quality photographs and detailed information about 23 of Tasmania’s common and endemic birds in a new Apple iPod/iPhone Application (app).

Developed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service A Bird in the Hand is like a field guide for birds, however this field guide offers real-life bird calls.

Birds currently featured in the app include endangered species such as the forty-spotted pardalote and the orange-bellied parrot and common birds such as the Tasmanian native hen, dusky robin, eastern rosella and flame robin. Along with colour photographs from some of Tasmania’s best wildlife photographers, the app includes a detailed description of the species and information about its habitat and breeding.

Since the guide was launched in September there have been over 2500 downloads and it’s been a steady 75 per day since then. The biggest percentage of downloads have been from France at 17 per cent, with Japan and the United States closely behind with 14 per cent of downloads and Australia close behind with 10 per cent.

The app is available using Apple’s free iTunes software via the iTunes App store. It is only compatible with Apple iPhones and iPod touch devices at this stage. The app costs $1.19.

The Parks and Wildlife Service has plans for similar projects about Tasmania’s unique mammals, frogs and walking tracks.

For more information about Tasmania visit www.discovertasmania.com

Media Contact
Liz Wren
Manager Media and Communication
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
Phone: 03 6233 2109
Liz.Wren@parks.tas.gov.au