Songs and Calls of Birds of the Countryside [With CD]

by Lang Elliott

A text and audio guide to the songs and calls of 35 common birds of meadow, woodland, marsh, and seashore habitats in eastern and central North America. This superb collection of field recordings... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811729648
• ISBN13: 9780811729642
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Length: 82 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

bird song CD

book arrived in a timely fashion and was as had been described . . . I especially like the CD which I listen to in the car

Rosetta Stone for bird language

This book and CD are excellent. The various bird sounds are presented with explanation and pneumonic to help you remember. The amount of information is just right to make the described call meaningful. I used this book/CD (and Volume 1) when I first became interested in identifying the birds around my property. (You need both to cover most of the birds you will hear if you live in the country.) It educated me to the variety of sounds a species may use in different situations, plus the variations of different individuals. As I've become familiar with my bird population, I enjoy relistening to the CD to absorb more about what I'm hearing and each time I gain new insight into bird society. The recordings are outstanding, with each preceded by a brief explanation and something like 'Here are two songs from one male' or 'three songs by three different males.' I've never heard this approach on any other CD and it really helps. If another bird can be heard in the background of a recording, it is identified so as not to confuse. I can't say enough good things about this book/CD set. The accompanying book includes one full page photograph of the male bird in a common perch of choice and written description of the calls with pneumonic so you can remind yourself of the call when listening to the CD isn't convenient. Sitting on my deck listening to the lovely song of the Wood Thrush as it whiles away summer hours on its nest is a great pleasure. I rarely see a Wood Thrush, but I know it's over there. We're geared to sight identification of birds, but the symphony of sound is equally enchanting. I highly recommend this item to those who want to appreciate more of what they hear from their local bird population.

Know Your Bird Sounds is a helpful tool

This 2 volume set is great. It gives lots of bird sounds, including different kinds of calls for each bird. It seems accurate and is helpful for the serious or amateur bird watcher. Not that it matters a whole lot, but it comes in a nice looking, sturdy case too.