Messiaen's birds

Here are examples of the birds that were the inspiration for the 20th century French composer Olivier Messiaen's great work for solo piano. He was an intent listener and on his walks he would transcribe the sounds that captured his interest into his notebook for later reference.

For more info on Messiaen ...

Catalogue d'oiseaux
pour piano
1956 - 58

1er Livre
I. Le Chocard des Alpes ... Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus - Pyrenees, May
II. Le Loriot ... Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus - Briebrza, May
III. Le Merle bleu ... Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius - Provence, May

2e Livre
IV. Le Traquet stapazin ... Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica - Valencia, April

3e Livre
V. La Chouette hulotte ... Tawny Owl Strix aluco - Northumberland, June
VI. L'Alouette lulu ... Wood Lark Lullula arborea - New Forest, June

4e Livre
VII. La Rousserolle effarvatte ... Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus - Briebrza, May

5e Livre
VIII. L'Alouette calandrelle ... Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla - Murcia, April
IX. La Bouscarle ... Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti - Camargue, May

6e Livre
X. Le Merle de roche ... Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis - Valencia, May

7e Livre
XI. La Buse variable ... Buzzard Buteo buteo - Northumberland, October
XII. Le Traquet rieur ... Black Wheatear - Oenanthe leucura - Aragon, May
XIII. Le Courlis cendré ... Curlew Numenius arquata - Northumberland, May

"I doubt that one can find in any human music, however inspired, melodies and rhythms that have the sovereign freedom of bird song"
Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992