Birding by Ear: Western North America (Peterson Field Guide Audio Series) [Audio CD]

Richard K. Walton (Author), Robert W. Lawson (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Editor), John Sill (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Peterson Field Guide Audio Series | Publication Date: April 15, 1999

Birding by Ear: Western is a unique and important new tool for birders. Now they can master one of the most useful and difficult field skills - the ability to recognize birds by their songs and calls. Birding By Ear: Western points out exactly what to listen for to tell one bird from another. As the Peterson Field Guide groups birds by visual similarity, Birding by Ear: Western groups them by acoustic similarity. Dick Walton and Bob Lawson have arranged ninety-one common species into nineteen intelligible learning groups - "sing-songers," "trillers," "name-sayers," "warbling songsters," and many others. The entertaining and educational narrative does the same job as the arrows in the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds, pinpointing the precise differences between similar species. The songs themselves are recorded to the highest acoustic standards and are a delight to listen to.
Birding by Ear: Western can enable anyone to become a better birder. Use it in conjunction with the Peterson Field Guide to Western Bird Songs, which provides a thorough catalog of the songs and calls of the familiar birds of western North America. Birding by Ear: Western may well become as essential to you as your Field Guide and binoculars.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ever wonder what that trill in the backyard is? Or how to distinguish between all those similar warbler songs? Try Birding by Ear. This great resource for birders all over western North America conveniently packages three cassettes and an accompanying booklet into a single videocassette-like box. Each tape groups bird species according to acoustic similarity in order to help you learn the basics of bird-song identification. Soon you'll know just by listening whether the bird skulking underneath the bushes is an orange-crowned warbler, a chipping sparrow, or a dark-eyed junco. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

John Sill is a contributor for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as illustrator titles including: Peterson Field Guides: Birding by Ear Western North America.

Richard K. Walton is a contributor for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt titles including: Peterson Field Guides: Birding by Ear Western North America.

Roger Tory Peterson (August 28, 1908 – July 28, 1996), was an American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator, and held to be one of the founding inspirations for the 20th century environmental movement.

Peterson was born in Jamestown, New York. After graduating from high school‚ Peterson moved to New York City‚ where he attended the Art Students League (1927-1928) and the National Academy of Design (1929-1931). He then taught science and art at the Rivers School in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1934 he published his seminal Guide to the Birds, the first modern field guide, which sold out its first printing of 2‚000 copies in one week, and subsequently went through 5 editions. He co-wrote Wild America with James Fisher, and edited or wrote many of the volumes in the Peterson Field Guide series on topics ranging from rocks and minerals to beetles to reptiles. He developed the Peterson Identification System, and is known for the clarity of both his illustrations of field guides and his delineation of relevant field marks.

Peterson received every major American award for natural science, ornithology, and conservation, as well as numerous honorary medals, diplomas, and citations from America and elewhere, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Order of the Golden Ark of the Netherlands. He died in 1996 at his home in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Jamestown, New York is named in his honor.

Robert W. Lawson is a contributor for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt titles including: Peterson Field Guides: Birding by Ear Western North America.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395975255
• ISBN-13: 978-0395975251
• Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent intro to bird songs, August 16, 2006

By 

Hollister Bulldawg (Hollister, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birding by Ear: Western North America (Peterson Field Guide Audio Series) (Audio CD)

I've birded for a number of years but I wanted to be able to distinguish birds by their calls, especially the shy ones. This CD volme was the perfect introduction. Dick Walton's informal, almost folksy, comments made for enjoyable listening and learning. Sure there are only 91 species but one great sampling. Now that he has taught me "hooks" and "handles" I have graduated to using the Stokes CDs, but at least I can now differentiate closely related songs thanks to Mr. Walton.

If you are new to bird songs, please start with this volume. In contrast the Stokes volume presents the songs, but no commentary. It is up to you to find the hooks and handles and figure out how to memorize all the songs.

BTW, I disagree with Mr Walton on one bird. He says the California Quail is calling "Chicago, Chicago." In my field experience I am sure it is looking for "Atlanta, Atlanta."

Great CD, buy it!

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the beginner/intermediate birder, January 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Peterson Field Guide(R) to Western Birding by Ear: A Guide to Bird Song Identification (Peterson Field Guides, No 413 Audio Cassettes and Booklet) (Audio Cassette)

As someone who is interested in improving their birding skills, I found this an excellent guide. The authors begin by explaining some basic bird facts related to vocalizations. They proceed with the recordings, which are grouped into birds with similar songs (the authors refer to this as "pairing"). This improves the listners ability to correctly identify the song with the bird. The last portion of the auditory cassette places the birds into habitat groupings without the identification of the bird. This section can be used as a test of the listners abilities or to help familiarize the listner with where each bird can most probably be found. This in turn helps the reader correctly identify birds in the field by narrowing the possibilities. Finally, the tapes have an accompaning written guide. Each bird is listed with a black and white drawing, habitat type and a written description of the song/call. The authors also reference the page number to Petersons Field Guide of Western Birds and provide a space where the listner can write his/her comments. All in all, this is an excellent resource.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful starting place., January 21, 2008

By 

Leif J. Neilson (Taylorsville, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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If your just starting out in birding, this is a great place to begin. As it mentions in the introduction on the cd, while you look only one direction, you hear 360 degrees. I've noticed a lot more birds since I started learning their songs.