The database has records for 133 British birds. It is supplied in two forms: Paradox and Ascii-delimited. The latter will allow you to import it into any serious database management program, e.g. DBase, Access, DataEase. You could even use it in a spreadsheet with sorting capabilities, e.g. Quattro, Lotus, Excel. A sample is preovided below, so that you can see if your database manager can handle it. The sample is for all birds (in the database) larger than 29cm.

If you like what you see below regarding the bird database, send a snailmail address to me, and I will send you further details. (It involves illustrations which I haven't digitised!)

The records consist of the following fields...

Name, Size(cm), Page in Peterson Guide
  Colours: Two main in or on ... Head, Back, Tail, Wing, Breast
     (Colours coded a:Black, B:Brown, C:Blue, D:Red, E:Orange,
     F:Yellow, G:Green, H:Grey, I:White
  Then one field to show all colours you might see in the bird, it
     takes the form of 9 characters... a hyphen when a colour is
     not present, a letter when it is. A magpie, for instance, if it
     had not been coded to allow for 'colours' you might perceive
     due to it's iradescence, would be coded in the 'Colours present'
     field a-------i (Black and White)
Bill (codes for size, type),Eyestripe, Wingbar, Tail Markings, Tail Shape,
Breast pattern (spotted, streaked, etc), Breast Pattern distribution (uniform,
     at sides, at top)

I have not provided my usual VERY easy download button for this one. You'll have to save this webpage to a file, and then massage it with a simple wordprocessor, e.g. NotePad. Alternatively, send me a snailmail address and I'll send file and user notes that way. (Two stamps to 'pay' for the disc wouldn't be unwelcome.)

@@1 MFD10,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
@@2 ver:2 Apr 94 Subset:Birds >29cm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
@@71 IBM ver started..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
@@72  .. 2 Apr 94,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Barn Owl,,33,183,ib,b-,bi,bh,i-,-b-----hi,f--,n,n,z-,cd-,a-,a,
Black GrouseFEMALE SM.,,53,103,ad,a-,ai,ai,ai,a-cd--ghi,bck,n,1,z-,af-,a-,b,
Buzzard,,53,76,bi,b-,b-,b-,bi,ab---f--i,f--,n,n,a-,ce-,c-,c,
CapercaillieF SMALLER,,86,104,ad,ab,a-,bi,ah,ab-d-f-hi,ck-,r,n,z-,cf-,a-,a,
Chough,,38,307,ad,a-,a-,a-,a-,a--d-----,aik,n,n,z-,bd-,a-,a,
Cuckoo (gray phase),,33,182,h-,h-,h-,h-,hi,-------hi,cj-,d,N,cj,cf-,d-,b,
Golden Eagle,,81,82,b-,b-,b-,b-,b-,-b--ef---,f--,d,n,z-,be-,a-,a,
Goshawk,,55,74,ai,b-,ba,b-,hi,ab--ef-hi,f--,2,n,a-,cf-,d-,c,
Green Wpecker,,30,199,dh,g-,ga,g-,hi,ab-d-fghi,e--,f,n,ak,cfj,a-,a,
Hen Harrier,,45,87,h-,h-,hi,ha,--,a----f-hi,f--,f,n,k-,cf-,--,-,
Hobby,,33,96,ai,h-,h-,h-,hd,abcdef-hi,f--,v,n,z-,cf-,c-,c,
Jay,,33,305,ah,dh,ai,hc,hd,a-cd---hi,e--,n,1,k-,be-,a-,a,
Kestrel,,35,99,hi,d-,ha,da,bi,abcdef-hi,f--,v,n,c-,cf-,bc,c,
Long-eared Owl,,35,185,bi,b-,b-,b-,b-,-b-d---hi,f--,d,n,a-,cd-,c-,c,
Magpie,,45,306,a-,ai,a-,ai,ai,a-c---g-i,e--,n,1,z-,cf-,a-,b,
Marsh Harrier,,50,89,b-,b-,hi,bh,--,ab-d-f-hi,f--,1,n,k-,cf-,--,-,
Merlin,,30,97,hi,h-,ha,ha,db,abcd-f-hi,f--,1,n,c-,af-,bc,c,
Montagu's Harrier,,43,88,h-,h-,h-,ha,--,ab-def-hi,f--,f,1,z-,cf-,--,-,
Osprey,,53,67,ai,ai,bi,ai,ai,ab-----hi,f--,1,n,a-,be-,c-,d,
Partridge,,30,107,bd,b-,db,b-,hb,-b-d---hi,bk-,r,n,g-,cd-,a-,b,
Peregrine,,43,95,ai,h-,h-,h-,hi,a-c--f-hi,f--,v,n,a-,cf-,d-,b,
Pheasant(MALE-F SMALLER,,81,108,dg,bg,bg,bh,bd,abcdefghi,ck-,f,n,a-,cf-,c-,c,
Ptarmigan(Summer male),,35,102,hd,h-,ha,i-,b-,ab-d---hi,bk-,r,n,g-,cd-,d-,c,
Red Grouse,,38,102,db,db,ad,a-,bd,ab-d---hi,bk-,r,n,g-,cd-,d-,c,
Red Kite,,60,70,b-,d-,d-,db,db,ab-d-f-hi,f--,1,n,z-,af-,c-,c,
Red-legged Partridge,,35,106,ia,b-,db,b-,hd,ab-d---hi,bk-,2,n,g-,cd-,c-,b,
Rock Dove,,33,178,h-,hi,hi,ha,h-,a------hi,c--,n,2,c-,ce-,a-,a,
Rough-Legged Buzzard,,58,76,ib,b-,ai,b-,bi,ab---f--i,f--,1,n,c-,ce-,c-,b,
Short-eared Owl,,38,186,bi,b-,b-,b-,b-,-b---f-hi,f--,f,n,a-,ce-,c-,c,
Sparrow Hawk,,33,75,dh,h-,ah,h-,di,abcdef-hi,f--,t,n,a-,cf-,d-,c,
Stock Dove,,33,177,h-,h-,h-,ha,h-,a------hi,c--,n,2,c-,ce-,a-,a,
Stone Curlew,,40,150,bi,bi,bi,bi,bi,ab-----hi,ce-,2,1,a-,ce-,c-,b,
Tawny Owl (rufous),,38,190,bi,bd,bd,db,bd,-b-d---hi,f--,n,2,a-,ce-,bc,c,
Wood Pigeon,,40,177,h-,h-,ha,ah,h-,a------hi,c--,n,1,c-,ce-,a-,a,