Bird Songs - by Les Beletsky (Hardcover)

About the Book

Bird Songs profiles 250 North American birds in words, pictures, and song.

Book Synopsis

Renowned ornithologist Les Beletsky introduces you to 250 birds of North America, brought to life with colorful illustrations and a digital audio player that provides each bird's distinctive song.

Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds--including the rediscovered ivory-billed woodpecker--in a stunning format. Features include:

• A succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs, written by ornithologist Les Beletsky
• Lavish full-color illustrations accompanying each entry
• A sleek, built-in digital audio player holding 250 corresponding songs and calls
• A foreword by North American bird expert and distinguished natural historian Jon L. Dunn, who shares insights gained from a lifetime of passionate study

Complete with the most up-to-date and scientifically accurate information, Bird Songs is the first book to capture the enchantment of these beautiful birds in words, pictures, and song.

Review Quotes

"Here are splendid color illustrations of 250 species of birds, some showing only the male and others showing both the male and female. Drawing from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the book is divided into four parts: seabirds, shorebirds, and water birds; forest birds; woodland birds; and open-country birds. With each illustration is a description of the bird's range in the U.S. and Canada, and its ecology and behavior. The profiles emphasize the birds' vocalizations--both songs and calls--which can be heard on an audio component that comes with the book. By using this digital audio technology, readers will be able to relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances. Beletsky, a notable bird biologist, has written a fascinating book that will aid bird-watchers." --George Cohen, Booklist

"Bird Songs is a significant new learning device for birdwatchers. By bringing digital audio technology to the printed book, you can relate the songs and calls of those birds you see from the comfort of your armchair. This unique and informative tool, combining text, illustrations, and sounds, should be on every coffee table." --Dr. Paul Green, Director of Citizen Science, National Audubon Society

About the Author

Les Beletsky is a professional bird biologist and natural history expert. Prior to taking up nature writing, he conducted twenty years of behavioral research on birds, concentrating on bird vocalizations and breeding behavior. He has written or co-written more than thirty-five papers and two books on birds, one of which won an award from The Wildlife Society as "outstanding wildlife ecology book of the year." An avid visitor of bird-watching and wildlife locations across the globe, he has made multiple trips to the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Detecting a need for comprehensive, single-volume guides for travelers interested in wildlife, he created and edited the Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide series (currently published as the Travellers' Wildlife Guides by Interlink Books). He has written or co-written ten of these wildlife travel guides, which illustrate and describe in detail all the kinds of wildlife, birds in particular, that a traveler to a particular state or country might encounter.