The Sounds of Raptors and Falcons

Even when we teach ourselves bird songs and calls, there tend to be groups that we rather carefully avoid. The Birds of Prey are one of those, partly because these birds, although often vocal, do not generally produce the kinds of sounds we liken with song which is pleasurable to the ear, but also because there is a belief that most raptors all sound much the same. This 2-CD set looks at 103 species, with 311 separate recordings, so we no longer have the excuse of not learning to tell the species by call. As a reference, this set is particularly valuable as it includes species from all over the world. Although you may not refer to it frequently, it will get used again and again. The CDs come with a booklet listing (in German, French and English) details of each of the recordings and where they were recorded.

Book reviewed by Su Gough