  In the field of animal behavior and behavioral ecology, many standardized
methods to observe animal behavior were established in the last decades. While
the protocols remained similar, behavioral researchers can take advantage of
technological advancements to enter observations directly onto a handheld
computer (phone, tablet, etc.), saving time and potentially increasing fidelity
of recordings. However, we now have the choice between many different platforms
for recording behavioral observations. Our challenge is choosing the most
appropriate platform that fits a particular study question, research design,
budget, and desired amount of preparatory time. Here, we review six low-cost
software applications for handheld computers that are available for real-time
entry of behavioral observations: Animal Behaviour Pro, Animal Observer, BORIS,
CyberTracker, Prim8, and ZooMonitor. We discuss the preliminary decisions that
have to be made about the study design, and we assess the six applications by
providing the advantages and disadvantages of each platform and an overall
application comparison. Our goal is to help researchers make calculated
decisions about what behavioral observation platform is best for their study
system and question.
