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Rating: Summary: The Stokes guide has dated this once standard reference Review: 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.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Sound, Too Many Species, Poor Format Review: This CD and booklet falls short on several counts. The greatest shortcoming is the grouping of a dozen or more species on a single track. If the bird you want to listen to is at the end, you have to wade through all the others first. And though the sound quality is sharp, the songs are very short. Also, there is but a single call per species, and no accompanying explanation (unlike Lang Elliott's excellent "Know Your Bird Songs" series). I would have to recommend the Stokes'CD over this one.
Rating: Summary: Look elsewhere Review: This CD is somewhat disappointing since the a number of birds are clumped together in one track, and each bird's song is quite short. It's better than nothing, I guess, now that I have it.
Rating: Summary: Look elsewhere Review: This CD is somewhat disappointing since the a number of birds are clumped together in one track, and each bird's song is quite short. It's better than nothing, I guess, now that I have it.
Rating: Summary: Buy Stokes CD Set instead Review: 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.
Rating: Summary: Unfortunately this CD set was a disappointment. Review: While most people expect wonderful things from Peterson guides, this CD set is sure to let you down. It's is very limited in the number of birds it covers. And the recordings for each bird are minimal at best. You are better off spending your money on the Stokes 3Cd set of Eastern Birds.
Rating: Summary: Unfortunately this CD set was a disappointment. Review: While most people expect wonderful things from Peterson guides, this CD set is sure to let you down. It's is very limited in the number of birds it covers. And the recordings for each bird are minimal at best. You are better off spending your money on the Stokes 3Cd set of Eastern Birds.
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