Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region (Audio CD)

~ (Author), (Author), Lang Elliot (Author, Reader)

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

This collection of bird songs should be enjoyable for both avid bird-watcher and casual nature-lover. It consists of three CDs and a guide booklet covering the sounds of 372 species living in Eastern North America. Narrator Lang Elliott introduces each species with just its name, then presents a variety of its songs and calls. The audioguide codes the CD track number for each species, gives a page number corresponding to the companion book, and an explanation of each type of call and its function. Even without the visual companion, the excellent quality of the audio production makes this a listening pleasure. J.J.F. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Com/Bklt edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570424837
• ISBN-13: 978-1570424830
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,598 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #80 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Birdwatching
  #81 in	Books > Books on CD > Nonfiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for the intermediate birder, November 21, 2003

By	merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I first received this as a gift when I was a beginning birder (basically from the backyard) and to be honest - at that point it was too much for me. I just got confused because actually listening to birds and all their different types of songs/calls and then trying to figure out which bird on the cd it might have been was tough (I'd forget what the bird sounded like and it'd leave before I found it on the cd). But that was me as a beginner. Now that I have a few bird songs under my belt and I can tell the difference between a woodpecker and a nuthatch without a second thought (yea, I was a real beginner) this cd is of better use. Now I can use it to hone in on birds that I think the song might be rather than having to go through so many because it was all so new. So, bottom line, I think its an excellent set of cds that you can really learn from but its better for someone who has thew basics down rather than someone who is the blank slate just starting to learn.

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not for beginning birders, May 29, 2002

By A Customer

I bought this collection to replace a set of Aubudon tapes that I'd lost a few years ago, and have found that I much preferred my old tapes to this collection. While the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs is very comprehensive and has great depth and variety, I am unable to use it to identify a couple of fairly common bird songs I hear in my back yard. With only the bird name and no other description provided on the cds, all of the songs and calls start to run together. What I particularly liked about my previous tapes was the additional song and habitat descriptions provided around the calls. The Stokes companion booklet provides some of this information, but my purpose in purchasing an audio guide was to listen, not to read. For an experienced birder or someone who knows what they are listening for in the field, this will probably be a helpful guide. For someone just starting out, a collection of fewer songs and more description would be a better bet.

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for all birding enthusiasts!, July 20, 1999

By	Shawna Ellis "Constant Reader" (Tennessee, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This booklet and CD collection is quite helpful when you return from the field after birdwatching. The songs and calls represented give a wide range of the common sounds you will hear. Alarm, breeding , and colony calls are all included (for species to which they all apply). It also does such a fantastic job of showing some less common calls that you may have never known belonged to a certain bird! After only owning it five days, it has already proved useful on several occasions and answered questions about bird calls that I've had for years. The text gives clear explanations of what the calls are used for and the circumstances in which they were recorded. The CD version is convenient for quick location and is organized for ease of use. We highly recommend it! The sound quality is terrific!