Scan the table of contents for this book and check out some of the species that you already know, preferably ones that are common in your own backyard. Read the text for that species and listen to the songs. Then venture outside and listen with new ears. Challenge yourself to get out in the hour before sunrise. Begin by paying attention to one singer and his neighbors, but try traveling some distance away and listening there, too. Perhaps start with a common species that has simple singing behaviors, such as a yellowthroat or Chipping Sparrow. If you want a challenge, try the American Robin; if you learn to listen to all that a robin does, you are ready for anything.
For this book, I’ve chosen seventy-five backyard species from western North America. The word backyard loosely means birds that are likely to be heard not only in your neighborhood but also on a casual day hike in areas nearby. Some, like the Common Yellowthroat, occur in all western states and provinces (except Alaska), so those were no-brainers to include, but the ranges of many birds are more restricted, either geographically or to certain habitats; some birds occur only in the North, some only in the South, some only in forests, some only in marshes. Certain common birds are far more likely to be seen than heard (for example, the common pigeon of farms and cities), so those didn’t make it into this book; some are far more interesting to listen to than others, which of course was another factor influencing which birds appear here.
In the end, the seventy-five species illustrated are the result of multiple considerations, but what a remarkable seventy-five they are. They illustrate the full range of expression among birds, from those that don’t learn their songs to those that do, from those with limited repertoires to those with complex repertoires numbering in the thousands of songs, from simple singers (and non-singers) to some of the finest, most melodious, and extraordinary singers on planet Earth. These birds are, in short, a celebration of birdsong, a celebration of the minds of birds and all they have to say.