Book Description
Birding is the fastest growing wildlife-related activity in the U.S., and even conservative estimates put the current number of U.S. birders at 50 million. According to the New York Times, some authorities predict that by 2050 there will be more than 100 million—and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America will be the essential reference for field identification and the cornerstone of any birder's library. This is the ultimate, indispensable bird field guide—comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy, and easier than ever to use.
Among the the new edition's key elements and practical improvements: Every North American species—more than 960, including a new section on accidental birds—classified according to the latest official American Ornithologists' Union checklist 4,000 full-color illustrations by the foremost bird artists at work todayand newly updated range maps that draw on the latest data New durable cover for added protection against adverse weather, plus informative quick-reference flaps that double as placemarkers New reader-friendly features like thumbtabs that make locating key sections faster and easier, and a quick-find index to direct users straight to the information they need.
Customer Reviews:
A Fabulous Field Guide - Sibley's now has competition.......2007-10-15
I've been using Sibley's Field Guide for the last three years, and my Western Sibley's is very well worn. But now, the field guide I refer to is the National Geographic. The new fifth edition is great. Rather than just list field marks, it offers tips on distinguishing similar species. The art is all new, and IMHO, very close to actual (compared to previous editions which were...schematic...[that's putting it kindly]).
Additionally, the submerged tabs are very handy, and they've picked up on putting the map in the back, like Sibleys.
My only complaints are that it's not a harder cover, and that I'd like it more narrow and tall, rather than wide and short. Nits. It's a fabulous field guide.
Nat Geo Bird Guide.......2007-10-03
I think this is a good field guide. I find the organization easy to use. The infomation is good and includes the regions where each bird can be found. The pictures and drawings of the birds were very thorough, ie the birds may be sitting or flying, male vs female, juveniles vs. adults, and extensive markings are identified.
I'm rather new to bird watching, so I only gave it 4 stars. I thought the more experienced watchers may have a different perspective.
Great Guide for Birding.......2007-09-07
As a novice birder, I find this book to be invaluable. Not only does it provide great photos, it also gives information that entices the reader to learn more and more. This is the text our birding instructor insists we all have in our libraries, and I certainly know why. The guide is a must for anyone interested in learning more about birds.
Still the best in its field.......2007-08-31
I've owned a previous edition of this field guide (it fell into a pond), and I think this continues as the clearest, most practical North American field guide I've found.
The text is simple and to the point. The illustrations are not always as beautiful or lifelike as the drawings or photographs in other guides, but are often much clearer, with useful distinguishing details always picked out well, and a range of plumages/postures shown when necessary. It's not posket sized, but it's not too large or heavy for a backpack or fannypack. As a practical field guide, this is my choice.
I haven't found any changes from the fourth edition that make much of a difference for me, so I wouldn't suggest buying this just as an upgrade.
Hawkeye Review.......2007-06-26
Excellent Field Guide for North American birds----I have owned numerous field guides and this one is by far the best. The bird pictures are excellent and easy to compare with the living specimens. Field notes and range maps are also excellent. A great birding guide that will not dissappoint. National Geographic continues to put out top quality publications.
Book Description
The Sibley Guide to Birds has quickly become the new standard of excellence in bird identification guides, covering more than 810 North American birds in amazing detail. Now comes a new portable guide from David Sibley that every birder will want to carry into the field. Compact and comprehensive, this new guide features 650 bird species plus regional populations found east of the Rocky Mountains. Accounts include stunningly accurate illustrations—more than 4,200 in total—with descriptive caption text pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry contains new text concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. Accounts also include brand-new maps created from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent.
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America is an indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative and portable guide to the birds of the East.
Customer Reviews:
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.......2007-08-23
I have had the Sibley Guide to North American Birds for years and it carries so much information I sometimes carry it into the field but it is heavy and cumbersome. Now with the smaller, lighter field guide I can always have a Sibley's with me. In fact I keep it in the car along with my second pair of binoculars. I still like and admire the National Geographic series but the Sibley's is my first choice for identification, plus salient details of a particular bird's life is quickly found. And thanks to Amazon for getting it to me so quickly. Living out in the Texas country, Amazon has been a boon companion for almost all my shoppin needs.
Good book for a good price.......2007-08-09
The book is a very useful guide for who wants to do birdwatching, and who has a basic knowledge of birds. In the case you don't have a basic knowledge of birds but you are a good watcher, the guide is still helpful as it make a summary of some concepts.
Sibley's guides.......2007-05-12
I love all the Sibley guides and have found that they are used by most of the ornitholigists in the field. I have one and got our grandson two for his birthday and he is so happy with them
Sibleys Field Guides to Birds.......2007-05-07
An excellent guide to identifying birds in the field using concise descriptions accompanied by excellent renditions. The paintings depict the birds in both breeding and non-breeding plummage. Mr. Sibley also mentions song and each species has its own range map with a breif description of habitat. An excellent resource for anyone interested in the birds of the Eastern Half of America.
Hooray for the Sibley.......2007-04-10
My wife and I are avid birders, and living near a lake that attracts all sorts of species, this has become our constant companion for even an evening walk to the store. Excellent and indispensible.
Amazon.com
Covering 508 bird species found east of the Rocky Mountains, the revised second edition takes into account changes in taxonomy and uses improved photography. At the heart of the guide is a set of 646 well-made color photographs whose subjects are organized by easily discerned characteristics (e.g., "chicken-like marsh birds," such as the clapper rail; "gull-like birds," such as the kittiwake; and "upright-perching water birds," such as the common murre). The photographs are then keyed to textual descriptions of the birds' appearance, range and habitat, nesting characteristics, and behavior. Easy to use and handsomely produced, this belongs in every eastern birdwatcher's collection. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Introduced in 1977 and completely revised in 1994, these bestselling photographic field guides have become the birding bibles of more than four million enthusiasts. Virtually every bird found in North America is brought to life in a full-color photograph and with textual information on the bird's voice, nesting habits, habitat, range, and interesting behaviors. Accompanying range maps; overhead flight silhouettes; sections on bird-watching, accidental species, and endangered birds make these the most comprehensive field guides to birds available.
Note: the Eastern Edition generally covers states east of the Rocky Mountains, while the Western Edition covers the Rocky Mountain range and all the states to the west of it.
Customer Reviews:
The BEST Field Guide.......2007-10-17
This has to be the best field guide I've ever used. It's well organized and simple enough for a beginning birder. It's also crammed full of information for the more serious ornithologist. The photos are spectacular!
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Easter Region.......2007-09-17
The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region is the most comprehensive guide that I have enjoyed in many years. It has clear, concise pictures of the birds of my region with a written synopsis of each bird's habitat. I recommend this book to any avid bird lover! It is an awesome book!
Excellent tool for birders!.......2007-09-16
This book provides excellent descriptions of the birds' physical appearances, lots of photographs, and maps of their winter and summer range. It is small enough that you could take it out birding, and has a durable cover. You will not be disappointed!
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region - Revised Edition.......2007-09-09
My favorite bird watching book because all the photos are organized by color of bird and variety of birds. The plentiful information is carefully correlated but is not on the page with the photos. I prefer this when I am searching for the bird in my view. Handy is size and shape for quick browsing.
I also have the rocks and minerals guide and the guide for N.American trees.
north american birds.......2007-07-14
the best, most informative,with clear photos instead of drawings as in other bird reference books.
Book Description
The Sibley Guide to Birds has quickly become the new standard of excellence in bird identification guides, covering more than 810 North American birds in amazing detail. Now comes a new portable guide from David Sibley that every birder will want to carry into the field. Compact and comprehensive, this new guide features 703 bird species plus regional populations found west of the Rocky Mountains. Accounts include stunningly accurate illustrations—more than 4,600 in total—with descriptive caption text pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry contains new text concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. Accounts also include brand-new maps created from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent.
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America is an indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative and portable guide to the birds of the West.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best bird books available.......2007-10-09
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America is a must-have for any birder. It comes in a large, hard-back version, but this smaller, soft-cover version is perfect for carrying on birding excursions and in the field. If you are even a casual birder, add this field guide to your collection.
A Stiff Sort of Guy.......2007-10-06
I am a 40 year old Birder and found Sibley too cut and dry. I like the old folky Roger Tory Peterson.
The Sibley's drawing - thanks to new techology - presents better images than A Field to Western Birds.
I'm glad to have both in my library.
Arizona Trip.......2007-08-26
I recently traveled West for the first time and this text was not only the right size (Sibley's other guide too large for the field) but the color plates were very accurate and helpful. I recently reccomended this text to my Bird club if traveling out West.
Best Field Guide.......2007-06-27
I have several field guides and all are good. But this one is the best. It offers the most accurate and diverse illustrations and descriptions.
My Favourite Bird Guide.......2007-06-10
We have all the guide books here at the field station, and after looking through them all, Sibleys is definitely my favourite (and has been praised by everyone else too). I've gone and ordered both Western & Eastern books myself. Having read the comments from other reviewers, it's true that some of the drawings may seem slightly duller than the real bird or drawings/paintings in other guides, but this hasn't caused me any identification problems. What really hooked me on this guide was how it illustrates the bird not only perched, but also in flight (below and above views), and illustrates differences between sexes and between adults and juveniles. Also, for some species, characteristic flight patterns and other important diagnostic features are highlighted and/or illustrated. Finally, features are pointed out on the drawing with arrows so one knows what to look for specifically.
Overall, an excellently organised guide book, standard "field guide" size, without the feeling of there being a loss of information. We have the big book here too (for all of NA) and it seems to contain the same information so bigger isn't neccessarily better! I recommend the two regional guides instead: less birds to decipher between and easier to carry with you in the field!
Book Description
Now in its fourth edition, the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America is the ultimate birder's field guide. Sturdy, portable, and easy-to-use, it features the most complete information available on every bird species known to North America. This revised edition features 250 completely updated range maps, new plumage and species classification information, specially commissioned full-color illustrations, and a superb new index that allows birders in the field to quickly identify a species.
The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fourth Edition will continue to be a bestseller among the fastest-growing sector in the U.S. travel market—the nearly 25 million people who travel each year specifically to observe wild birds.
Customer Reviews:
a great book for bird lovers.......2007-08-10
For anyone who wants to learn more about the birds of N. America.
Written in clear concise detail even laymen can understand.
Definitely highly recommended.
Makes a graeat gift for friends who want to learn more
about these amazing feathered friends.
I give four of five stars.
Low quality compared to 3rd edition.......2007-05-30
I have been using field guides for over 30 years and for the last 20 have carried the 2nd and then 3rd edition of the Ntl. Geographic guide faithfully on travel and into the field. I have the Sibley's, Kaufman, Peterson's, Golden and plenty of others but have continued to use the Ntl Geographic when I only want to pack one book. I finally purchased the 4th edition when the price dropped to under $10. I am really disappointed in the quality compared to the 3rd edition.
The colors are not as rich and in most cases are much duller than the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions. Nearly every bird depicted in the 4th edition will appear to be lighter than it was depicted in the 3rd. What does this mean in terms of your use of the 4th to identify a bird? For complex birds seen at a distance with many similar looking possibilities, (shorebirds and gulls, for instance) you may misjudge what you have seen because you are looking at a bird much darker than it is depicted in the 4th edition of the Ntl Geographic guide.
There are other problems related to quality in the 4th edition. Throughout the book there are numerous instances of black and white bleeding on wingbars and bills producing a blue where there should be none. The shrike page is the most obvious example, but it also occurs on the flycatchers and woodpecker pages.
Thinking that perhaps I had just ended up with a bad copy or misprint, I verified this problem by checking the 4th edition at several stores in different part of the country. The dullness is universal and the blue bleeding seems to be a widespread problem but it manifests itself in different parts of the book depending on the copy. Up until the 3rd edition a birder had to purchase the Ntl Geographic guide at a specialty store or directly from National Geographic. Not sure if this is the reason for the change but, starting with the 4th edition, this guide is available at chain book stores and wholesale warehouses. Perhaps National Geographic has lowered its quality control standards for new markets.
Finally, there are some technical problems with some of the new pages. Only a few pages are updated from the 3rd to 4th editions but surprisingly there are problems with three of them. The first one is excusable since the bird is so scarce in North American waters. The streaked shearwater undertail coverts have extended a good 1-2 inches from the 3rd to the 4th editions of the guide. The effect is that the brown tail will appear shorter than on a real streaked shearwater. The next one is comical, but again not a bird anyone is likely to see. The Cory's dark morph of the least bittern is illustrated in the 4th edition in front of a cattail sponge that would set a world record if it were an accurate depiction. It appears to be about a half size larger than it should in comparison to the bittern, which in turn might make you think a least bittern is even smaller than it is in real life. Last, the illustrations of mourning, MacGilvray's and Connecticut warblers on the new oporornis page all look like cutouts with no depth compared to the better illustrations of these birds in the 3rd edition.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America 4th Edition.......2007-03-12
I found the guide to be very helpful.
Bird Book for Enjoyment.......2007-03-10
I purchased this for my wife & I as amatuer bird watchers. It is so inclusive of breeds, locality, features and details. In addition it is compact and handy wherever you go in our country. We both recommend for the amateur & experienced bird watcher.
One of the standards.......2007-02-07
This title has been around for what seems like forever. It is not quite as large or definitive as Sibley's, but unlike Sibley's it is much easier to fit in the pocket of the jacket I usually wear when photographing birds. Normally I keep the Sibley's in the car and carry this one with me in the field. I highly recomend both.
Book Description
This Audio CD is designed for anyone who wants to learn how to recognize bird songs. It features the sounds of 189 different bird species found in the Midwest and Northeast States.
Each bird song recording is followed by a short description of the sound along with a common mnemonic used to remember it. Many well-known song mnemonics such as "Who cooks for you?" for the Barred Owl and "Poor Sam Peabody" for the White-throated Sparrow are included. Following the song and mnemonic, the source of the sound is revealed. By naming the bird at the end of each track, the listener is allowed to wonder and guess at the nature of the sound. Active listening, similar to what one experiences in the field while searching for an unknown bird song, is a key to engaging the memory process.
One way to use this CD is to enable the "Random Play" or "Shuffle" option on a home CD player, portable stereo, or personal computer. Although it may be frustrating at first, repetition of this "quiz" game will quickly improve recognition skills. Gaining familiarity with these songs will greatly increase any bird watcher's enjoyment and awareness of birds in their natural habitat.
Features:
- 189 bird species found in the Midwest and Northeast states
- Digital bird song recordings made in Wisconsin
- Brief narration after each song includes descriptive, memorable and often funny mnemonics
- Can be used as a field guide to learn and identify songs or as a recognition quiz game
- Easy to use alphabetical track listing of all birds and their mnemonics
- It is a great gift for any birdwatcher, beginner or advanced.
- Total running time: 60 minutes
Customer Reviews:
Very good CD.......2007-08-21
After many years of bird watching I decided it was high time I learned to bird by ear.
I'm pretty familiar with the limited species that show up in my Southern California yard (House Finches, House Sparrows, Mourning Doves and Western Scrub Jays mostly).
I've purchased a few different CD's on birding by ear (including the Stokes CD's), but this is the one I like the best. I keep it in my CD player in the car so I can learn/study the bird songs while going to and from work each day.
I have noticed a slight regional accent in some of the birds that I'm familiar with, but it's not so significant that I don't recognise the House Sparrow or the House Finch when I hear it.
I highly recommend this CD to anyone who is trying to learn to bird by ear.
Great for newbies.......2007-06-07
I've lived on a farm or outside the city for most of my life, but never really bothered to figure out the different bird calls. After listening to this CD a couple of times, my wife and I can now pick out some of the different birds. The more calls we learn, the more fun it is to learn more.
Overly Short Songs Presented at Shotgun Speed.......2007-05-25
While the coverage of songs is thorough, the acoustic quality is not nearly as good as four other bird song CDs that I also recently purchased (Stokes - Eastern Region, Peterson Field Guide sets - Eastern, Songbirds Bible by Proctor, Common Bird Songs by Borror). Moreover, the songs are very short, with minimal repetition or variation. It is nice to have narration that follows the songs, so the listener has a chance to guess what type of bird sings each song. However, given that the songs are so short, and the pauses after the songs and before narration are even shorter, there is no time for an advanced beginner birder such as myself to reflect, or even spit out the answer instantaneously. Furthermore, the next song often starts virtually "on top" of the narration (which is little more than just the name of the bird), making it easy to associate the bird name with the wrong song (ie, the song that follows narration rather than the song that precedes).
excellent for beginning and intermediate birders.......2006-08-01
The alphabetical indexing is excellent for those who have not mastered the taxanomic order as found in most lists and books. The presentation of the song before the identification is useful in honing ones ears. Would like it to be longer than the ~110 species presented.
By far the best bird song training & review guide.......2006-07-10
This is an outstanding CD for learning bird songs. Each song starts with the bird song and then the narrator describes the song and provides a short phrase or description that aids you with identifying it, followed again with the essence of the song. This format allows you to quiz yourself. I bought my first copy two years ago and have bought 5 more to give to friends since then. Everyone has commented that its a great guide. I own several other guides including Birding by Ear and More Birding by Ear and this is by far my favorite.
Book Description
Spot the silhouette of a Northern Goshawk in flight. Identify the raucous call of the Red-winged Blackbird. Discover the secret of picking out a Chipping Sparrow from its look-alike cousins. It's simple with this classic field guide, a treasured favorite among amateur bird lovers and exacting professionals. Recognized as the authority on bird identification, this invaluable resource provides:-All of North America in one volume-Over 800 species and 600 range maps-Arthur Singer's famous illustrations featuring male, female, and juvenile plumage-Sonograms that picture sound for easy song recognition-Migration routes, feeding habits, and characteristic flight patterns-American ornithologists' classifications-Convenient check boxes to record birds you have identified -Color tabs for quick references
Customer Reviews:
Handy addition.......2007-07-16
This book is a very handy addition to any household. I bought 3! One for our house and each of my married childrens homes..they LOVE it!
Easy to Use.......2007-07-14
This bird book is great for all ages. It is easy to use because it has the description, pictures, and range maps all on the same page. As an advanced birder I really like it. I also bought it for my fifth graders because of the ease of use.
good buy.......2007-07-12
easy to use if you have a general knowledge of ornithology, but can be frustrating if you have no idea what kind of bird you are looking at
Nice little book.......2007-05-22
I actually had to buy this book for a college course, but I'm not going to sell it back to the bookstore because it's a great little book. I'm not a professional birder, so this book is great. It's compact and has full color illustrations on every page with easy to read range maps. I think it would be great for a novice birder.
Best in Birding.......2007-05-07
Have used this book for many years and
bought this one as a gift. All the
info plus the bird's picture are on one
page. Handy!
Amazon.com
World-renowned birder Kenn Kaufman addresses a long-running paradox of bird field guides with his Focus Guide. While beginning birdwatchers prefer photographic guides like those by Donald Stokes, the physical traits that make identification easier are more readily discerned in the idealized paintings of illustrative guides like those by Roger Tory Peterson and National Geographic. Kaufman's groundbreaking work combines the best of both approaches by digitally enhancing photographic images to show the characteristics that are sometimes not apparent in photographs.
Some other distinguishing features include:
- The guide is organized by bird family groupings rather than strict taxonomic classification; this is a feature that will appeal especially to beginners.
- Text descriptions and range maps for each species appear on the page facing the plate of respective bird images.
- Important field marks are highlighted.
- Color-coded tabs identify each grouping of birds (waders, warblers, sparrows, etc.) for quick thumb indexing.
Kaufman's efforts follow the auspicious tradition of Roger Tory Peterson, whose portable field guide system was the first of its kind to meet the needs of the average birdwatcher. "It's the guide I've always wanted," says Kaufman, "and I suspect most birders will feel the same way."
Book Description
In 2000 Houghton Mifflin first published the Kaufman Focus Guide to the Birds of North America. Critically acclaimed for its innovative design, the Kaufman guide began introducing a new generation to birding. In 2005, this new Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America is now the most up-to-date field guide, including dozens of changes by the American Ornithologists" Union in official names of birds; the addition of new species to reflect the latest scientific discoveries; and dozens of updated range maps. Additional information helps beginning birdwatchers get started, all in the same compact format that has made this guide the easiest to use for fast identification in the field.
Customer Reviews:
Love this book.......2007-08-22
We use this all the time to identify the birds around us and when we travel. Great pictures!
great pictures, makes it easy to identify birds.......2007-06-12
we were replacing a golden field guide to birds that got dunked in the water....this one is great! Sturdy binding, good indexing, great pictures, I find it very easy to use. We enjoy identifying the birds around our home in Minnesota but are not "birdwatchers". I would recommend it highly.
A book in the hand.......2007-04-02
Kaufman's book is beautifully organized and illustrated. The descriptions are brief as befits a book intended as a pocketable field guide but the salient points for identification are presented clearly. It is not absolutely complete for the sake of brevity but the species omitted are not very likely to be encountered. If needed a local area supplement could be used. It serves its purpose very well indeed.
Great indexing--especially for beginners.......2007-03-26
My 7 year old has recently become fascinated with birds. We had a little backyard guide, but it just wasn't enough. I went to the bookstore to look at the different guides available & really loved the way this book is indexed. In the front, you see pictures of groups of birds, the name of the group & a color band--the book section has the matching color band.
It's really easy for my daughter to see a bird, glance over the first groups of pictures in the front index, pick the group that it looks like, then find the colored section in the book & find the exact bird! There isn't a ton of info no the birds, mostly just region info, food, call, etc--but pictures include males, females & juveniles--which is very nice--the maps are also very clear, so it's easy to see if it might be in your area.
We love this book & highly recommend it to beginners who don't know much about birds & their groups, etc!
For further information on the birds, we also bought the DK (Dorling Kindersley) Guide to Birds of North America--we bought the Eastern, but they also make a Western. It's 24.99 at the book store, but you can get it for less than 10 here on amazon--it goes into great detail about each bird, has tons of color pictures of the birds, their nests, eggs, babies, etc--very educational--we will use it to learn more about the birds once we spot them in our Kaufman guide.
We also ordered, on a whim & because it was only 83 cents on amazon, The Complete Birdhouse Book--The Easy Guide to Attracting Nesting Birds by Donald & Lillian Stokes. When it arrived I was overjoyed with how wonderful this book is--it is full color, talks in-depth about the bird life-cycle with full color pictures & specifically what different birds need in a home--and thus, how to construct it! What beginner ever knew the hole size, hole to floor measurement & inside dimensions & total height were so important--not to mention where it is placed & what type of things to leave in your yard for nesting material! Also, how to control predators & pests & other useful information. Full color pictures again & highly educational---a good companion for anyone wanting to attract birds to their yard!
Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America.......2007-03-21
By my side constantly. My old guide was over 10 years old & used in MD & NJ. Now in AL I can start again .. the pictures are vivid. Great detail on attacting birds and easy for me to identify the new ones here in a new local.
Can start again on listing the dates I see my NEW birds. Glad I bought this one.
Amazon.com
A favorite of birdwatchers (especially those who prefer photographs to illustrations), this field guide, revised for 2000, accounts for the 544 bird species that live in the region west of the Great Plains. The clearly printed color photographs capture birds at rest and in flight; preceded by black-and-white silhouettes, the plates are organized by visually based, intuitive categories--"hawk-like birds," "pigeon-like birds," and "perching birds," for example--that make on-the-fly identification a fairly simple matter. The images are matched by clearly written text that describes a given bird, gives an approximation of its voice, and details its habitat, range, nests, and behavior. Sized to fit in a jacket or backpack pocket, this is a valuable companion for any birding outing in the region. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Introduced in 1977 and completely revised in 1994, these bestselling photographic field guides have become the birding bibles of more than four million enthusiasts. Virtually every bird found in North America is brought to life in a full-color photograph and with textual information on the bird's voice, nesting habits, habitat, range, and interesting behaviors. Accompanying range maps; overhead flight silhouettes; sections on bird-watching, accidental species, and endangered birds make these the most comprehensive field guides to birds available.
Note: the Western Edition covers the Rocky Mountain range and all the states to the west of it, while the Eastern Edition generally covers states east of the Rocky Mountains.
Customer Reviews:
an overall decent field guide.......2007-05-30
As a general all round guide, this book is helpful and has a place in any naturalists library. The color plates are the best of all the bird guides.
The index cross-references the color plates with the descriptions making it pretty staightforward. The cover is a durable leatherette, the binding pretty good (although the color plates will loosen up with use). The Audubon guides are definitely a step up from the Peterson and Stokes guides.
Now for the criticisms. The descriptions are far too brief and vague. An example: for the Cooper's Hawk, the voice description is:
"A rapid series:kek kek kek kek kek". Mmmm . . . Doesn't help much . . .
The summary is also 3 sentences long . . . c'mon, did the editors get tired here or what?
The descriptions throughout are not much more detailed than this, especially the voice descriptions. And trying to print out the phonetics/sound of a birdsong has always seemed pretty futile to me anyway; the most effective way of learning the signature of a bird's song is to listen to a recording.
Except for overhead photos of most of the raptors, there are almost no flying photos of all the other birds. I think this could be a much needed additon to any future editions. Feather identification is a big part of birding.
All in all though, this is the first guide I turn to when I need to know.
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
Best Bird book on the market.......2007-01-13
My wife and I have been using the Easten Region Field Guide for years and found it to be the best. We recently moved to the western area and quickly realized that we needed the Western Edition. A great book for birders.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Western Region - Revised Edition (National Audubon Society Field G.......2007-01-11
Very good graphics and copy. Durable too.
Western Audubon Guide.......2006-11-10
A good book to take with you because of it's size but, to me, the photos of the birds are lacking. Although they do accurately display the bird they are lacking in detail and often, to us, don't show alternate views for better comparison and easier indentification.
species misidentified.......2006-01-04
I regret that I cannot recommend this book because it contains easily caught errors.
I suppose that misinformation in the text is not so important. Still, on p. 21 the book claims that "Every bird has a scientific name consisting of two Greek or Latin words." The author of this book, Prof. M. Udvardy, was a respected ornithologist who would never make such a mistake, so either it happened in the revision by J. Farrand or is due to an ignorant copy editor.
Much, much worse is the misidentification of photos, which of course is the heart of this field guide. For example, photo #172 purports to be a Pacific Loon in winter plumage, but as any birder worth his/her salt can see, this is clearly a Common Loon. Likewise, photo #175 is labeled Common Loon, and the bird shown is clearly not of this species.
A field guide should be 100% accurate in species identifications and also not promulgate misinformation about scientific nomenclature. With many alternatives on the market, this is a book not to buy.
--Jack P. Hailman (Fellow, American Ornithologists' Union and President, Florida Ornithological Society).
Amazon.com
Serious birders delight in autumn as migrating flocks provide the opportunity to observe the species that aren't normally around to observe. They don weather-proof shoes and layers of clothing, grab binoculars and All the Birds of North America, and head for the marshes before the football fans arise from their pre-game slumbers. With a weather-resistant coating, and an index that includes little boxes for ticking off the species that you see, the American Bird Conservancy's Field Guide has an easy-to-use format of icons (aerialists and shorebirds, fly-catching bills and straight bills) that allows you to zero in on type before dealing with the details that differentiate between Boreal, Carolina, and chestnut-backed chickadees.
Book Description
A surer, faster, easier way to identify birds
Everything you need to know about North American birds is at your fingertips in this ground-breaking field guide--the first and only guide to successfully organize birds by field-recognizable, instantly-observable characteristics.
With its unique keying system based on how and where birds collect food, spectacular panoramic color illustrations, weather-resistant pocket-size format, emphasis on conservation, and endorsement by the leading bird preservation organization, All the Birds is the single most useful identification guide available.
How to use All the Birds of North America
Step #1: Open to the key for Waterbirds on the inside front cover or to the key for Landbirds on the inside back cover.
Step #2: Select the icon that most resembles the bird being identified, and note the color bar and key number next to that icon. Using the color bar and key number, locate the group of birds within the pages of the book.
Customer Reviews:
Not as good as Sibley's, but... lighter!!.......2007-08-03
This is an excellent "field replacement" for Sibley's guide to the birds of North America, which is in my opinion the very best available. As anyone who own Sibley knows, though, it's a big, heavy guide, not so great if you want it with you while hiking or biking. For such occasions, I usually have "All the birds of North America" with me. It is comprehensive, the illustrations are done by different artists are mostly well done (but mostly not as beautiful as those in Sibley) and useful. You will find a map for each bird, on the same page as the illustration, so the guide is very easy to use. The cover is made of a soft, very resilient plastic material, which is excellent for a field guide. Overall, I find the combination Sibley-All the birds perfect, and I never felt the need to buy a third field guide.
Terrible.......2007-03-05
Quite possibly the worst book I've ever used in terms of organization. The color coding is done with these vaguely differing colors which are only differentiated in the best of light, the numbers shown on the inside of back and front covers are never explained, and there are quirky things such as why do they list "Swimmers" twice without an explanation -- if I'm trying to identify a swimming bird why not group them together? And a Table of Contents to at least get you to the right section would have been a nice touch. Don't buy it.
Good for your bookshelf.......2007-01-22
This guide has excellent illustrations , text, and number of species (plenty of accidentals and several plates on Asian vagrants to the Aleutians).
However it has a huge drawback and that is organization. No quick index at the back or front of the book, no color-coding, but the worst part is it doesn't follow the orthodox order of birds, going in taxonomic order.
I would buy it for my desktop or bookshelf, but not as my "primary" guide.
Nice for beginners.......2003-08-26
This book is a very useable field guide for beginning birders. The book is organized to help you identify birds as quickly as possible. First, you decide whether you are looking at a water bird or a land bird; the first part of the book covers water birds, and the second part land birds. If you're looking at a land bird, you next decide whether you've got a large bird or a small one. The section on large birds has small silhouettes of the birds' shapes in the margin, while the section on small birds shows the birds' beaks. By flipping through these small drawings in the margins, you can easily narrow down the bird you are looking at to a few pages. Then you look at the numerous color illustrations, the range maps, the short descriptions, and the song patterns to help you determine the identity of your bird. For further information, each chapter starts with a short article that describes the morphology and behavior of the group of birds that are covered in the chapter. Scientific names are included for each bird, and rare or endangered birds are highlighted.
As a rank beginner bird watcher, I found the book extremely easy to use and informative. The color illustrations, because they are idealizations, were much more accurate and easier to use than the color photographs that appear in some other field guides. The descriptions of each bird are rather short, leaving me hungry for more details, but this book is a great place to start.
most informative and easy to use.......2003-06-05
This is the best bird guide I have ever used. It helps my family to identify birds by key features. My sons now look at birds and tell me their beak shape, what they most likely eat, the color of the legs and their relative size, all from regularly using this book. It gives pictorial examples of birds one might confuse with one another. Also useful are the estimates of particular bird population in each geographic area, with terms such as "abundant," "populous," "numerous," and "numerous but declining." I appreciate the brief, not preachy, explanations given for why certain populations of birds are declining.
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General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
The Shorebird Guide
National Geographic Complete Birds of North America (National Geographic)
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
