The Art of Pishing: How to Attract Birds by Mimicking Their Calls (Book & Audio CD) [Paperback]

Pete Dunne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2006

First-ever how-to book on this time-proven technique

Features 13 pish explanations and audio demonstrations by Pete Dunne

Effective throughout North America

Learn the arcane yet effective art of pishing from a master. In this unique book and CD package, renowned birder Pete Dunne presents an illustrated workshop on how to attract birds by making precise and well-practiced hisses, whistles, chips, and squeals (along with some kisses and thumps) that almost guarantee spectacular success in the field. The text explains the hows, whys, and whens of 13 different pishes, including the basic pish, stutter pish, whisper pish, knockdown pish, screech-owl warble, sequential chip, and squeal. The soundtrack features audio demonstrations so you can compare your efforts to an expert's. Together, this book and CD will send you well on your way to becoming a pisher extraordinaire.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pete Dunne is one of the country's best-known birders and the author of numerous books on birding, bird identification, and natural history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; First Edition edition (June 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811732959
• ISBN-13: 978-0811732956
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

PETE DUNNE is the author of many books, including Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, Pete Dunne on Bird Watching, and most recently Prairie Spring, the first in a four-book series on the seasons. He is the vice president of the New Jersey Audubon Society and director of its Cape May Bird Observatory.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Manual for attracting birds while field birding, October 1, 2007

By 

Brian Allen "neotropical birding" (Manistee, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of Pishing: How to Attract Birds by Mimicking Their Calls (Book & Audio CD) (Paperback)

First of all "pishing" is making sounds to attract birds or wildlife. The sound has been likened to a distress call or a call note that birds use when identifying a threat. This has the effect of getting many birds of the area to collect around the source of the sound to the benefit of the person trying to spot and identify them.

I've been birding for 36 years and have been "pishing" for birds almost as long thanks to my mentor and one of Michigan's best birders, Doug McWhirter. Doug taught me how to pish and how to do the screech owl imitation just as Pete Dunne describes it in this book. Since I've done this for so many years I wanted to see if there were any new tricks in the book.

This is a short book, more like a manual with its' CD (90 pages in a small (6"x*8") size. It is readable and entertaining as anyone familiar with Pete Dunne's writing would know. He throws in lots of humorous examples in with the instructions. The book covers the advent of pishing in birding, the several types of pishing, when to employ the pish and when it will not be productive as well as ethical guidlines to pishing.

I was interested to learn the "knock down pish" something new to me. Despite excellent instructions I found that I am still not able to do Dunnes squeal and need more practice. I also found verification that grassland birds are hard to pish but may respond more to squeals and chip notes. The CD is very brief but has good examples of the sounds, pitches, and duration that are difficult to explain in type.

All in all a good little manual to help advance your birding skills

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful guide!, August 3, 2007

By 

PONYRCR (El Segundo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Pishing: How to Attract Birds by Mimicking Their Calls (Book & Audio CD) (Paperback)

I've read in several field guides that cetain birds are "pishable", and quite frankly I never quite knew what that meant.

I got this book and CD just before going on vacation to PA. I knew I'd have the chance to see lots of new birds and several of those were considered pishable.

On my first day out birding in the Pocono's I tried the basic pish. And Wham! a Tufted Titmouse showed up. I kept pishing and a Black Capped Chickadee arrived. The Chickadee was so interested he flew out and nearly landed on my head. My kids were with me and they were quite impressed (they had been skeptical when we headed out). It was very satisfing to have my kids say "Mom, see if you can pish him out."

Not only did the birds respond to pishing but squirrels seem quite intrigued by it also.

This is a great find. I highly recommend it.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It gets results!, February 10, 2007

By 

MS Birder "digidiva100" (Columbus, Ms USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Pishing: How to Attract Birds by Mimicking Their Calls (Book & Audio CD) (Paperback)

I received this book and went out birding the next day and tried pishing and it worked! The CD is excellent and the book is entertaining as well as informative. It takes practice to learn to do it well but it does get the birds' attention.