Review of "Birds of Ecuador / Aves de Ecuador"
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... That there are 1,184 species represented perhaps tells you enough about the value of this archive, but I wish particularly to stress that many rare or poorly known species are included on the disc, and that the authors have managed to visit most every topographic feature of the Ecuadorian Andes, so that the geographic coverage for many species is outstanding. Niels Krabbe is, of course, one of the world's authorities on tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), and they are especially well represented (e.g. 111 recordings of Blackish Tapaculo [Scytalopus latrans] from every part of Andean Ecuador), while the 18 recordings of the taxonomically interesting Masked-Highland Trogon (Trogon personatus-temperatus) complex are a further example of how this is a scientifically valuable archive as well as a simple tool for learning basic bird calls.
As a matter of personal taste, I appreciate what I might term the "honest presentation" of this archive, which particularly means openness, disclosure, and naturalness (and does not imply "dishonesty" in other products!). If there was uncertainty about the identity of the bird, this is shown, and recordings that were made in response to playback are so labeled. Recordings have generally not been scrubbed to remove the background noise of roosters, other birds, and some of the meters of falling rain (and when a recording was enhanced, that is indicated); nor have intervals been shortened without notice. Also, I prefer this products's lack of voice annotations to introduce cuts, but of course many prefer otherwise. There are mistakes (so far about a dozen found by the authors and listeners), helpfully listed on an errata page of the publisher's web site (link), which also includes a patch program that will correct these errors and make a few tiny changes to the basic program.
I highly recommend this DVD to anyone interested in the vocalizations of South American birds, especially in the tropical Andes. It can well serve an individual who simply wishes to learn the typical vocalizations of more than 1,100 species, and it is essential for individuals and institutions with strong interests in the songs of South American birds, especially the taxonomic implications of geographic variation in vocalizations. It, and other collections published by Bird Songs International, should also inspire other recordists to consider the ways in which technological advances make it possible to provide personal archives to a broad public. -- Richard E. Webster in Auk 123(1): 293-294, January 2006.
"... This DVD uses modern technology to great advantage by placing the vocalizations of the vast majority of Ecuadorian birds on your computer and at your fingertips. The DVD is organized taxonomically by family. Clicking on a family brings up a species list with icons that indicate whether a photograph or sound track is available for a given species. Clicking on the species brings up a small image of the photograph (if available) and lists the sound recordings available. For some species, there is information on taxonomy or recent splits. Many recordings may be available for each species, and if appropriate, they are separated by subspecies. Information under the sound bar for each selection includes a rating of the quality of the recording, the type of vocalization (song, call, duet, etc.) and whether the vocalization was recorded under natural conditions or after playback. Yet another click on the twistee under the sound bar brings up complete information on the recording, including the recordist, location, date, time of day, archive or reference information, and often the identification of other species heard in the recording. The location where it was recorded is a clickable link that takes you to two maps showing Ecuador and South America, with the recording location indicated by a dot on the maps.
I had no trouble using the "Playlist" feature to create playlists for various geographical regions of Ecuador. Creating a playlist involves dragging and dropping recordings to the list. Playing the list requires one click. As the list is played, the species’ twistee opens, showing all recordings on the list for that species, and, as each recording is played, the information on that cut is displayed. Once a playlist is created, the program will build a folder of the selections that may be copied to other media for use in whatever software the owner has on their computer. Again, this is straightforward, and creating the folder to use for burning a CD is easy.
This product includes 69 hours of vocalizations of the birds of Ecuador. It will be extremely useful to field biologists and birders who want to learn the vocalizations of these species. This DVD is highly recommended." -- Mary Gustafson in Wilson Bulletin 117(1): 110-111, March 2005.