A Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R)) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Series Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999 | Series: Peterson Field Guides(R)

The best-selling bird-song collection ever recorded. Includes 267 species -- all the most common and vocal birds found east of the Rockies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Need a dictionary of avian calls? This recording is for you." Dallas Morning News

--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world's greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation, as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars, and the Peterson Field Guides® are credited with helping to set the stage for the environmental movement.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395975220
• ISBN-13: 978-0395975220
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,432,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Stokes guide has dated this once standard reference, March 14, 2000

By 

James Remsen, Jr. (Lindenhurst, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R)) (Audio CD)

Once the standard field guide to bird songs for eastern North America, the Peterson guide (the present edition is its third) has now been largely supplanted by the Stokes guide in terms of usefulness. With over 200 species crammed onto a single disc, the sound samples are pitifully short, which is a shame since most of these recordings (from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's collection) are clear and beautiful. In addition, the Stokes guide only has one or two birds per track, which makes finding the species you want much easier on that CD.

This CD really deserves two reviews, one for its technical merits, which rate highly, and one for its usefulness to the birder, which rates very poorly indeed. So I'll compromise at three stars. If you are on a budget, you can pass this over with the confidence that your pennies will be better spent on Lang Elliott's superb Stokes guide. If you want a little something extra for pleasant listening and have the cash to spend, then go ahead and buy it, but ONLY if the essential Stokes CD is already on your shelf as a definitive reference.

Most of these same criticisms apply to the Peterson guide to western bird songs, which contains two CDs, about 500 species, and must place second to Kevin Colver's western guide in the Stokes series.

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detecting Birds, August 9, 2005

By 

Sarah Ewing (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides) (Audio CD)

Most birds, like most wild animals, avoid humans; therefore their distinct songs & calls indicate their presence when sight can not. This collection of bird songs which is organized by habitat and family, is clear, enjoyable listening. It provides an introduction to 276 bird songs and a handy means of confirming bird species by song and call.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buy Stokes CD Set instead, August 8, 1999

By 

Aquaria.Info "Aquaria.Info - Aquarium Fish On... (Aquaria.Info) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R)) (Audio CD)

This CD is very limited in both the number of species it covers and also the number of calls/songs for each species. For the money you are better off buying Stokes 3 CD set.