Field Guides - North America

 

Nat'l Geographic Field GuideI want to order this book

National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds of North America
Jon L. Dunn, Eirik A. Blom, George E. Watson, John P. O'Neill
$17.56
464 pages - Paperback

This is the best Field Guide for Birds of North America. Buy it if you do not own it already! New 3rd Edition was published in April, 1999.

 

Peterson -EasternI want to order this book
A Field Guide to Eastern Birds
Roger Tory Peterson
$14.36
384 pages - Paperback

The Peterson identification method uses arrows to highlight the key field marks. This book is highly recommended for new birders and should probably be the first field guide in your library if you live in the East. Later, you will probably find yourself using the National Geographic field guide as your primary guide and this as a backup.

 

Peterson - WesternI want to order this book
A Field Guide to Western Birds
Roger Tory Peterson
$14.36
432 pages - Paperback

The Peterson identification method uses arrows to highlight the key field marks. This book is highly recommended for new birders and should probably be the first field guide in your library if you live in the West. Later, you will probably find yourself using the National Geographic field guide as your primary guide and this as a backup.

 

Stokes - EasternI want to order this book
Stokes Field Guide to Birds : Eastern Region
Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes
$14.95
474 pages - Paperback

This new field guide includes color photos of Eastern birds. There are one to four photos, showing the bird in different plumages. The range map, descriptions and conservation status are all on one page. There are also Quick Guides to the very common backyard birds. The edge of the book has colored tabs to help you find a family of birds quickly. There are also some nice touches like symbols telling you if the bird comes to feeders or nests in bird houses.This is actually a pretty good field guide.

 

Stokes - WesternI want to order this book
Stokes Field Guide to Birds : Western Region
Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes
$14.95
522 pages - Paperback

This new field guide includes color photos of Western birds. There are one to four photos, showing the bird in different plumages. The range map, descriptions and conservation status are all on one page. There are also Quick Guides to the very common backyard birds. The edge of the book has colored tabs to help you find a family of birds quickly. There are also some nice touches like symbols telling you if the bird comes to feeders or nests in bird houses.This, like the Eastern edition, is actually a pretty good field guide.

 

Audubon - EastI want to order this book
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds : Eastern Region
by John Bull, John, Jr. Farrand
$13.30
796 pages - Hardcover

Field Guide with photos. No range maps. Similar to newer Stokes Guides, which we prefer over this.

 

Audubon - WestI want to order this book
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds : Western Region
by Miklos D. F. Udvardy, John, Jr. Farrand
$13.30
822 pages - Hardcover

Field Guide with photos. No range maps. Similar to newer Stokes Guides, which we prefer over this.

 

Golden BookI want to order this book
Birds of North America
by Chandler S. Robbins
$11.20
360 pages - Paperback

Known as the "Golden Book" because of the publisher's name. This is a rather old guide. It includes sonograms of some of the bird's songs, which none of the other print guides have. Pictures are small and not very detailed. Before the National Geographic guide, this was the only guide with range maps and pictures on the same page.

 

Thayer CD-ROMI want to order this CD-ROM
Birds of North America CD-ROM version 2.5
Thayer Birding Software (it is faster to order directly from them at 800-865-2473)
$70.00
For Windows 95, Windows 98 or NT

In 1994, this was the first electronic field guide. The current version 2.5 is MUCH better than version 1 or version 2. You can now make your own quizzes and screen savers. This CD-ROM is the best example of the new technology that combines photos, songs, videos, side-by-side comparisons and much more in a field guide for your computer. This is the future for learning to identify birds by sight and sound! This CD-ROM includes over 3,100 color photos that you can zoom up to 400% of the original size. There are 121 video clips of birds showing typical behavior. The 696 songs from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology are of exceptional quality -- and really set this CD-ROM apart from other very good CD-ROMs by Peterson and Audubon. In addition, you can actually see pictures of the bird's songs - called sonograms. The program even lets you see a picture of your own voice! The best part of the CD-ROM is the 250 quizzes. You set the difficulty level at "Easy", "Not So Easy" or "Hurt Me Plenty." Quizzes can be taken as multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks or as flash cards. The entire contents of The Birder's Handbook is included in this CD-ROM in electronic format. There is also an Avian Jukebox and an entire section on birding Hot Spots, reviews of binoculars and scopes, bird clubs you can join, links to birding web sites and more. The CD-ROM covers all 925 species ever seen in the US (excluding Hawaii) or Canada. The nice part is that there are free updates at the Thayer Birding Software web site as new birds are seen or old birds are "split." You can really tell a birder developed this CD-ROM!

 

 

Audubon CD-ROMI want to order this CD-ROM
The National Audubon Society Interactive CD-Rom Guide to North American Birds
National Audubon Society
$57.95
CD-ROM fro Windows or Macintosh

This is the right CD-ROM if you have a Macintosh computer. It includes over 1700 color photos. The CD-ROM covers the 723 breeding birds of North America. The section on habitat descriptions is excellent! Bird descriptions are extensive and are taken from the Audubon guides. The CD-ROM works on both Windows and Macintosh machines (some users have had problems running in Windows). The sound quality is OK except for high pitched birds like warblers -- then it is very buzzy. The CD-ROM has a booklet on waterbirds enclosed for free.

 

Familiar Birds - EastI want to order this book
Familiar Birds of North America : Eastern Region
(The Audubon Society Pocket Guides)
by John Farrand, Kenn Kaufman
$7.20
192 pages - Paperback

Also for beginners -- but a bit more detailed than the Peterson First Guide. Give this to a non-birder to carry in their pocket when they go hiking. Keep it next to the window overlooking the bird feeder.

 

Familiar Birds - WestI want to order this book
Familiar Birds of North America : Western Region
(The Audubon Society Pocket Guides)
by John Farrand, Kenn Kaufman
$7.20
192 pages - Paperback

Also for beginners -- but a bit more detailed than the Peterson First Guide. Give this to a non-birder to carry in their pocket when they go hiking. Keep it next to the window overlooking the bird feeder.