The Songs of Wild Birds.Birds communicate with other members of their species through a wide array of sounds made both by singing and by using their feathers and other body parts to flutter, tap, and scrape out their messages. In this combination book and compact disc, Elliott, a nature-sound expert, introduces readers to the songs and other sounds of 50 birds that are native to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . The book comprises short, detailed essays that describe Elliott's experiences in the field while collecting recordings from such birds as the great horned owl great horned owl Horned owl species (Bubo virginianus) that ranges from Arctic tree limits south to the Strait of Magellan. A powerful, mottled-brown predator, it is often more than 2 ft (60 cm) long, with a wingspan often approaching 80 in. (200 cm). , mourning dove mourning dove Species (Zenaida macroura) of pigeon (family Columbidae), the common wild pigeon of North America. They have long, pointed tails, and the sides of the neck are violet and pink. Their name comes from their call's haunting, mournful tone. , green warbler warbler, name applied in the New World to members of the wood warbler family (Parulidae) and in the Old World to a large family (Sylviidae) of small, drab, active songsters, including the hedge sparrow, the kinglet, and the tailorbird of SE Asia, , and, perhaps, the ivory-billed woodpecker. Each essay is accompanied by full-color images of the featured bird and graphical representations of its sounds. The 65-minute compact disc includes samples of each call and the author's narration. Houghton Mifflin, 2006, 128 p., color images, paperback, $19.95. |
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