New Zealand Bird Calls: Listen With a QR Code product reviews

One of the best things about living outside a main city is the incredible variety of nature sounds, something you do not get when there is heavy machinery and constant traffic to interrupt the peace. Near my home there are parks, suburban streets, and a range of bush-clad hills which is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Birds visit my garden constantly; the fruit at the top of my trees is just for them while the lower growing produce is for human consumption. Since I don't spray, the tree fruit is safe for all. And the benefit is mutual; the birds get to eat the fruit, but they also help themselves to insects that would otherwise be a nuisance.

Having all these birds around might be seen as educational as well as beneficial, but they are often hard to see as they congregate at the top of the canopy. They are audible, of course, as they sing and twitter and call to one another, but I would love to know which species are visiting me. Now, with the help of New Zealand Bird Calls, I am finally learning to identify my visitors. During the last few weeks, I have spent hours listening and then playing the recorded sound on my phone. I just have to remember to activate my mobile data as my home Wi-Fi is not strong enough to reach to the end of my garden - then it is just a matter of reading the QR code for the bird I think I am listening to. Needless to say, there have been several surprises as the bird is not the one I had expected. But I am getting better at this!

The sound quality is variable. some of the clips are really clear while others are muted. Of course, this would depend on where the recordings were made - it is not always possible to arrange the setting to enhance the acoustics. However, they are sufficient for identification purposes and the extra background information included is really interesting. I was impressed with the quality of the pronunciation of the names - most birds have a Maori name as well as an English equivalent, and the spoken introduction to each bird call by George Henare results in a truly professional presentation.

The photography is stunning and very clear, preserving the plumage colouring to great effect. It is obvious that many hours were spent to capture the images in just the right setting. Even if Photoshop were used to enhance the end result, there is only so much that can be done with the raw material. It is a pleasure to look at each photo before reading the extensive notes that accompany each one. It is a pity there could not be more information included as there is so much more to say about each bird - the rediscovery of the takahe, once thought to be extinct, for example - but clearly the authors were aiming to produce a book that could travel in a backpack on a tramp through the bush or on a hill climb. Within these constraints they have done a wonderful job, and there is a table at the back of the book which identifies which species are endemic, which are native, and which are introduced.

To date, I have welcomed ruru, kereru, kotare, riroriro, korimako, tui, and piwakawaka to my garden, as well as blackbirds and sparrows - and I have the QR links to prove it!