Beck, Animal Collective and Jeff Tweedy are among the artists that will appear on a new birdsong-inspired compilation album.

‘For The Birds: The Birdsong Project’ is set to be released in five monthly stages between now and September, with the first volume arriving yesterday (May 20).

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Karen O, Kamasi Washington, Terry Riley, Mary Lattimore, Tyondai Braxton, and Elvis Costello are among the other artists that feature on the expansive compilation.

Costello said of the project: “This should be so very obvious: without birds we would be knee-deep in worms, swarmed by bugs, the trees bereft of song. The least we can do is raise our voices in praise or lament.”

In addition to the musical selections, the project also includes spoken-word pieces from the likes of Florence Welch, Matthew McConaughey, Bette Midler, and Natasha Lyonne. Randall Poster produced the entire collection, with Lee Ranaldo serving as one of the set’s executive producers.

All proceeds from ‘For The Birds: The Birdsong Project’ will be donated to the National Audubon Society.

Listen to the first volume of ‘The Birdsong Project’ below:

The project will be also be released in a massive vinyl set, spread across 20 LPs. The deluxe version includes a photo book that features an essay by Loma and Shearwater member Jonathan Meiburg, who is also an ornithologist.

Elsewhere, Elvis Costello & The Imposters are gearing up to head out on a North American tour later this year.

The Imposters – comprising Steve Nieve (keyboards), Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Faragher (bass/backing vocals) – and Costello released. new album ‘The Boy Named If’ on January 14. It features the singles ‘Farewell, OK’, ‘Magnificent Hurt’ and ‘Paint The Red Rose Blue’.

Their tour will begin in August and end in September and will see support from either Nicole Atkins or Nick Lowe & The Straitjackets.

Meanwhile, Beck has announced plans to re-record his classic tracks ‘Loser’ and ‘Where It’s At’ for an unspecified new project.