A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America

A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America | A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America

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A Field Guide to t...

	A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America Houghton Mifflin, 2002 - 450 pages average customer review:based on 58 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Best Bird Guide For Eastern North America

The Peterson Field Guide to BIRDS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA (5th Edition) is excellent for study and very practical for use in the field. Roger Tory Peterson's paintings have a unique charm to them that makes them enjoyable to view and easy to memorize. They combine detailed accuracy with an unsurpassed sensitivity that gives the illustrated birds that elusive life-like quality found in their living counterparts. The arrangement and number of birds on each page (ranging from around four to twelve species) provides for easy comparison between birds of the same family. This arrangement along with the arrows pointing to key field marks makes it relatively easy to pinpoint the exact bird you are looking at. For each bird there is also an easy to understand description of its song or call, a list of key identification features and a thumbnail sized range map (unfortunately limited to eastern North America). In the back of the book there are much larger and more detailed range maps (2x2 inches) for each species although they are still only of the eastern region. I own many bird guides and they are all useful but I find myself bringing my Peterson Guide to BIRDS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA (5th Edition) into the field most often.

Strengths:

* Beautiful artwork
* Lightweight with a durable cover making it easy to carry into the field
* One of the few guides to show the rare Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
* Practical layout (Easily confused birds shown side by side)
* Key field marks shown with arrows
* Range maps are opposite to the pictures and large detailed maps are in the back
* Easy to memorize and useful descriptions of bird calls

Weaknesses:

* Species accounts limited to eastern North America
* Range maps only show eastern North America
* Some of the art is not up to the standards set by the majority of the book (i.e. Owls and Buteos).
* Arrangement of birds by families is not as easy for beginners as Kaufman's Focus Guide to Birds
* Not all birds are shown in flight or with juvenile plumage as in the Sibley Guide to Eastern Birds

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A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America

Peterson's paintings are THE BEST and his little arrows point to important field marks. In his 5th edition, he finally placed range maps on the same page as the ID text, removing my one criticism of previous editions. Doesn't look like the plates were painted by a committee because Peterson painted all of the plates (except one that was finished after he died). You can't go wrong with this field guide if you live east of the Rocky Mountains.

Peterson Field Guides to Birds of Eastern and Central North America

When I need ANY kind of field guide, I know that Peterson is the best I can get. The information is clear and extensive, the cross-referencing set-up makes for very easy use, and the plates are absolute works of art. I plan to use and treasure my Peterson guides for many years to come.

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The bird bible

Peterson's guide makes identifying birds easier than many other guides. The drawings and printed reproductions are clear. Accompanying maps help to pinpoint the identity of similar bird species.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, page 9, 10, 11, 12

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