French Ornithologist Jean C. Roché’s 1973 LP Birds of Venezuela reissued

The little fella on the cover is called a Potoo.

Jean C. Roché’s 1973 collection of tropical bird songs from Venezuela has been reissued for the first time, via Sub Rosa.

Roché captured bird songs around the world for over 30 years, releasing over 130 LPs featuring these recordings.

“The bird songs which I had recorded in the West Indies in 1969 made me inclined to find out more about those of the nearby South American continent,” explains Roché, “and convinced me, moreover, that musically speaking, they possessed an unquestionable originality in comparison with those of Africa and Europe.”

“When I penetrated the forest, I could hear bird species literally by the dozen and individuals by the hundred, all calling and singing together at dawn and at dusk.”

Birds of Venezuela features six tracks of field recordings from the tropical jungle, including the trippy hypno-echoes of ‘Barinas’ and flute-esque toot freakouts of ‘Rancho Grande’, as well a 12-page introduction by David Toop.

Head here to order a copy of the album and check out the barinas in action at around 3 minutes in below.