Birdscapes: A Pop-Up Celebration of Bird Songs in Stereo Sound
Product   DescriptionGet ready for the most groundbreaking entry to date in the bestsellingBirdsongsseries (more than 400,000 copies sold!).Birdscapesdelivers an   immersive birding experience never before seen--or heard--in any book. For the eyes: seven   elaborately engineered  full-color pop-ups portraying dozens of bird species in diverse North   American habitats  from the Alaskan Tundra to a Southeast swamp. For the ears: extended   recordings of the birds' calls and songs in stereo from the collection of the world-renowned   Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. For the serious birder: scientifically   accurate illustrations of the birds and moving text about their fragile ecosystems. This   beautifully crafted volume is a visual and audio delight!"Pop-up books aren't just for kids anymore! This multimedia experience transports you to seven   natural habitats in North America and immerses you in the birds and their songs. --Greg   Butcher, director of bird conservation, National Audubon Society"Birdscapesis a delight for the eyes and the ears--a tour of North America's bird-rich   ecosystems, rendered as seven lavishly detailed, three-dimensional landscapes, and brimming   with choruses of authentic bird songs and calls." --Scott Weidensaul, author ofLiving on   the Wind and Of a FeatherAn Interview with Miyoko Chu, Director of Communications at the Cornell Lab of   OrnithologyQ:When did you first become interested in birds?A:When I was 11,   my father and I rescued some pigeons from a poultry truck in San Francisco's Chinatown. I   spent a lot of time in the backyard coop, watching the pigeons as they courted and raised   their young. It was amazing to realize all this drama was playing out with wild birds   everywhere, too, and to have the opportunity to study it.Q:What's your favorite bird song and why?A:My favorite song is   that of the Scott’s Oriole, featured in the desert scene ofBirdscapes. Hearing that   clear, bubbling melody in the desert is an unforgettable experience.Q:What was the best thing about working onBirdscapes?A:It was exciting to go from the ideas and bird lists for each soundscape to seeing and hearing   this three-dimensional product as it emerged from the minds of the artists, editors, and sound   engineers. It was incredible to see the artists' sketches transform into complex and ingenious   pop-up scenes, and to experience how precise recordings for each bird were blended to evoke   the soundscape.Q:Have you visited all of the seven different bird habitats featured inBirdscapes?A:Of the seven habitats, I'm most familiar with the   desert, where I studied birds during 1995-2000, and the eastern deciduous forest, which is   right outside my office window. I have visited the Great Plains and Pacific evergreen forests.   I have not been to the Arctic, a southern swamp, or a seabird colony. In writing those scenes,   I benefited from the insights of my colleague Gerrit Vyn, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s   audio production engineer, who selected the recordings, including some that he had recorded on   recent expeditions to these habitats.Q:Which habitat inBirdscapesdid you enjoy writing about the most and why?A:Actually, there were two that I enjoyed the most--for completely   opposite reasons! I loved writing about the desert because I had spent so much time there, and   remembered the sights and sounds so vividly. And it was great fun to write about the seabird   colony because that was something I had never experienced before—and I was completely   surprised by what I learned. Whether an individual seabird's voice or thousands, the sounds   are awe-inspiring, and the birds have such an interesting lifestyle as they all cram on to a   bit of rock for the breeding season.Q:Are you a daily birder or a weekend birder?A:I'm an   opportunistic birder! I'm always watching and listening for birds around my house and   neighborhood. But in between work and spending time with my family, my focused birding these   days happens irregularly, on the spur of the moment. My office at the Cornell Lab of   Ornithology overlooks Sapsucker Woods, so I sometimes slip outside to look for birds after   getting an email alert about a good migration day, or when I notice people outside my window   pointing up at the trees.Q:Do you have any suggestions for beginning birders?A:Invest in a   pair of binoculars and practice becoming comfortable with them. It will open up a whole new   world, enabling you to see many more birds than you may have even realized were around you   before. Spend time getting to know the different kinds of birds you see, the reasons for their   behaviors, and the many kinds of sounds they use throughout the year.Excerpts fromBirdscapesClick on each image below to see a larger view of the page.More to  ExploreBird Songs: 250 North American Birds in SongBird Songs From Around the WorldThe Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North AmericaThe Backyard Birdsong Guide: Western North America