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Comment on The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) by Ann

Ann — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:49:03 +0000

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

important information about how to be of benefit to birds!, January 16, 2010

Ann (Lexington, KY) -

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This review is from: The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) (Paperback)

This is a lovely book, filled with very interesting information. I knew I wanted to offer food to the birds, but felt concerned about negative comments I had heard about this practice. This book resolves all of these issues for me. And it provides information about how to feed the birds without harming them: keeping the seed clean and disease free, for example. A lot of things I did not know about.

In addition, there's a lot of information that makes me appreciate birds even more. Intriguing info about mating, caring for their young, migrating, intelligence, how they sing, feathers and how they fly...

On a more mundane level, this is a lovely looking book. It's small (about 6" by 4.5")yet satisfyingly hefty (about 1" thick.) It's attractively bound, with a shiny cover and a textured, matte spine. It's a great little book in so many ways. Well done!The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

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Comment on The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) by B.Morgan "Blake Morgan"

B.Morgan "Blake Morgan" — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:41:19 +0000

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

EGG-Cellent!!!!, December 27, 2009

B.Morgan "Blake Morgan" (Alaska) -

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This review is from: The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) (Paperback)

This little book sure packs a punch! It is small when you first see it, but open it up, and it is just chock-full of advice pertaining to our sweet little feathered friends. Wow! I was impressed! You will feel like you have come away from this book knowing quite a bit more than you did before you dug into it! I have been into birding for quite awhile now, yet,I was surprised to learn things that I never even knew before! It is a nice addition to your "birding library"....so glad I got it! Plus....you can assist friends and neighbors,when they are confounded about a birding "issue"!

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Comment on The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) by Carole Brown "Author of Ecosystem Gardening"

Carole Brown "Author of Ecosystem Gardening" — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:12:59 +0000

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Bird Watching Answer Book Great for kids and adults, December 15, 2009

Carole Brown "Author of Ecosystem Gardening" (Philadelphia, PA United States) -

This review is from: The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) (Paperback)

Laura Erickson has done it again! This is a great resource for birding with kids and also for adults to answer those questions that always come up. Written in an easy to read question and answer format, Erickson covers bird migration, behavior, flight, backyard birds, conservation, and more. It's also small enough to fit in your pocket right next to your field guide.

I became a fan of Laura Erickson with 101 Ways to Help Birds and she has continued her mission of giving the best information available with this new book.

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Comment on National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition by Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:55:42 +0000

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent Field Guide!, November 7, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition (Paperback)

This is a big improvement over the Fourth Edition. It now has every (excluding some occasional escapes of course!) species of bird in North America. The taxonomy is updated too. The Blue Grouse is split into the Dusky and Sooty Grouse, the Canada Goose is split into Canada and Cackling Goose, the Green Pheasant seems to be lumped into the Ring-necked Pheasant once again and there are probably a few more updates. The range maps have also been updated too. Some of the more uncommon accidentals and extinct species have been moved to the back few pages of the book. There a list of bird families on the front flap as well as a detailed look at bird topography. On the back flap there is a Quick-Find index as well as a map of North America. The flaps double as place holders and the cover is weather resistant. There are now thumb tabs for the following birds: Hawks, Sandpipers, Gulls, Flycatchers, Warblers, Sparrows, and Finches.
They still aren't as easy to use as some other guides, but they are still decent improvement.

Pros:
*Completely redesigned cover that is very handy
*Every species in North America
*Ivory-Billed Woodpecker update
*Lumping and spliting in some species making this field guide more up-to-date

Cons:
Only the thumb tabs which only come in handy for those species (Hawks, Sandpipers, Gulls, Flycatchers, Warblers, Sparrows, and Finches). Still a decent improvement though.

Overall, this field guide is one of the best and is worth buying. Highly recommended.

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Comment on National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition by B. Taylor

B. Taylor — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:24:31 +0000

102 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

Good but some disappointments..., November 29, 2006

B. Taylor -

This review is from: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition (Paperback)

I purchased this 5th edition NG guide so I would have all the up-to-date species names and splits. This guide incorporates changes made in the most recent (2006) 47th Supplement to The A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, Seventh Edition.

This version is slightly larger than my old 3rd edition guide. Same height and depth, but pages are about 3/8" wider which allows for slightly larger range maps. Some may find this new version is a bit too large to be considered a "field" guide. The upside though is much larger pictures of the birds than those tiny ones found in other popular field guides, such as the much smaller sized Sibley's Eastern or Western N.A. guides.

Compared to my 3rd edition NG guide the colors are not as rich and vivid, but generally the illustrations of each species are still quite good. Some of the pictures have been redone by different artists from those in the 3rd edition. I found a couple improvements, but unfortunately there are also a few which are simply dreadful in comparison. For example see the Horned Grebe page. Oh well, no field guide gets them ALL right.

The new inset tabs really work well. There are just enough to help you zero in on key sections of the guide - any more would have just got in the way. The front and back covers have a fold out flap which I've found is handy for bookmarking a page in the guide. The quickfind index on the back flap is fantastic! No more flipping through the index pages trying to find where they've put the Meadowlarks. On the inside of the front cover there are several "bird topography" drawings which show the terms used in identifying various feathers and markings on birds. This is much improved over the few drawings in the 3rd edition, that were also harder to find.

There is an extra section at the back of the guide on Accidentals and Extinctions - probably not something I will use, but an interesting addition.

The species illustrations are generally well done and include comparisons of male/female/juvenile and summer/winter plumages. Also some extra pages such as ducks, hawks, gulls, and sandpipers in flight. Description of each species includes many helpful clues for identification, such as tail-flicking habit, prefers spruce bog, song is insectlike buzz. The range maps are large enough to be useful. A beginning birder might find a smaller regional guide or a backyard birds guide easier to start with, but would soon wish they had this one. In conclusion, a good choice for anyone interested in birds and birding.

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Comment on National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition by James D. DeWitt "Alaska Fan"

James D. DeWitt "Alaska Fan" — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:32:57 +0000

265 of 268 people found the following review helpful:

The Best of a Fine Set of Choices, March 14, 2007

James D. DeWitt "Alaska Fan" (Fairbanks, AK United States) -

This review is from: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition (Paperback)

For birders, there's never been a better time to find a field guide. Sibley and Kauffman have both published very good guides in the last few years, serious competition for the venerable National Geographic guide. National Geographic has responded with this, the 5th Edition, which has almost all of the new names, new splits and new species. How to decide among the competitors for the guide to take into the field?

First, you can't go wrong with any of the three. They are all very good, although each brings different strengths and weaknesses.

Second, if you bird with a companion, carry different guides: one of you take National Geographic and one of you take Sibley or Kauffman.

Third, measure your skill level against the assumptions of the various guides. If you are a novice, then Kauffman might be your best choice. If you are a beginner who has a bit of experience, then National Geo may be your best choice. If you are an advanced beginner or better, then perhaps Sibley.

But as an overall choice, with decent art (although not as good or as consistent as Sibley), decent identification highlights (although not quite as good as Kauffman), quite good behavior cues, absolutely excellent treatment of vagrant birds (especially Asian vagrants), pretty accurate range maps and highly readable text, National Geographic emerges as the most versatile of the three.

If you can, get all three. If you can't get all three, this is probably, by the thinnest of margins, the best choice.

Caution: this edition uses the new taxonomic order adopted by the American Ornithologists Union, putting bird families in significantly different order. It takes a while to get used to where things are.

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Comments (4)

Comment on The Backyard Bird Lover’s Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region by Marilyn L. Ward

Marilyn L. Ward — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:44:20 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Name that bird, February 22, 2010

Marilyn L. Ward (SW Indiana) -

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This review is from: The Backyard Bird Lover's Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region (Paperback)

We love this book. It has helped us identify dozens of the birds visiting the feeders on our patio.

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Comment on The Backyard Bird Lover’s Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region by DKC

DKC — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 07:59:14 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

pictures and info great, July 5, 2011

DKC -

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This review is from: The Backyard Bird Lover's Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region (Paperback)

I love birds and wanted to know more about the ones in my area of Texas. And this was the part, I did not like. The way she divided the regions was a bit confusing. I live in Central N. Texas and there was no specific region for that, just way lower s. Texas and far west and far east areas and the extreme upper panhandle, which was included with the lower part of OK. So, I am assuming that birds from these areas will also be found throught out all of Tx.
Wish she would have specified birds from each state, maybe combining some of the smaller states together and then shared more of the migratory areas. Others may not have trouble with this, and part of this could be because TX. is such a big state.
Other wise, it is a great bird book with colorful pictures and interesting facts and ideas on how to attract and identify birds; just one group of God's many awesome creations for us to take care of, study and enjoy.

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Comment on The Backyard Bird Lover’s Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region by Gene Berger "Bergers Book Reviews"

Gene Berger "Bergers Book Reviews" — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 07:41:52 +0000

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

making friends with the birds..., June 16, 2008

Gene Berger "Bergers Book Reviews" (Pennsylvania) -

This review is from: The Backyard Bird Lover's Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region (Paperback)

"When you identify birds by name, they feel like friends."

That is Sally Roth's assertion noted on the back of her very pleasant book, The Backyard Bird Lover's Field Guide. If you are accustomed to the usual suspects utilized for bird identification, such as the Peterson's guide or Sibley's, Roth's work will give you a refreshing, simple alternative. And if you're a novice birder, it's just what you need.

Roth begins by describing a bit of bird-watching history along with personal reasons on how and why one should pursue such an activity. She writes with a casual, light-hearted style that makes it seem like you're reading notes from a familiar acquaintance. The large number of vivid photographs adds additional life to her homespun tales.

The author gets to heart of solving the avian identification riddle by describing specific geographic regions around the United States detailed with native birds in mind. The information is especially handy for those who enjoy traveling or are just curious about common bird populations around the country.

The book provides easy directions for identifying a variety of well-known species. What are your "First Impressions" of the bird in question? "Details, details," and "Listen up!" are just a few of the categories one should consider. Roth even tells us what seeds they will eat from birdfeeders and the types of vegetation they prefer. Each page is capped off with a short recollection or insight of the featured bird.

The focus and style of Sally Roth's field guide make this a valued addition to any bird lovers collection. It may be slanted to newcomers, but it's a great way for anyone to become friends with the birds.

Reviewer: Gene Berger

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Comment on StubHub, “Binoculars” by HmongZboy

HmongZboy — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 07:53:23 +0000

are they long eye relief