National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America
Reviews (90)
The thumb-tabs and layout make this my preferred bird guide
I think this is a great bird identification book for my needs. I am a beginner to intermediate bird watcher and I previously owned the Sibley bird guide. I like that this book as multiple similar bird species on the same page, I find this to be very helpful for me in identification. I think the illustrations are pleasant and clear, the birds are also placed in various natural poses. There is a very brief but good introduction on how to use the guide and what the different parts of a bird are called for use in identification. The size and weight of this book is normal compared to other similar bird guides. I like that there are thumb tabs built into the book, this makes flipping to the right section very easy and quick. I don't think every guide has thumb tabs which in my experience make using a guide at a park or nature preserve much easier. The cover and pages of the book have a nice feel and quality to them. In comparison to the Sibley bird guide I prefer this book. The features that make this book stand out in my opinion are the thumb tabs and the multiple similar bird grouping on a single page. Each available bird guide seems to have a few characteristics that distinguish them from one another. In my opinion this book excels in allowing the user to quickly and easily access the information they need. I was also able to buy a new copy on Amazon for nearly half the price of similar guides from a third party seller who also offered prime shipping.
Excellent format
As a wildlife biologist I have most of the bird field guides printed. I always recommend good drawings (as in this book) over the photographs many novices like. Just as important are the good range maps, often the first thing I look at when identifying a species with which I am unfamiliar.
Do NOT buy from Hippo books.
The book is fine. Don't buy from hippo books. They will send you a "very good condition" book that has been stamped and has a huge discard sticker stuck on it. It's a picture book. They blocked most of the pictures with stupid stamps from some public library and the book has been checked out a lot. It's binding wrapped in tape. This is a terrible quality book. Do NOT buy from hippo books, it will save you an extremely huge disappointment.
National Geographic bombs on the maps?!
It's a great book with excellent information, portable for field identification, and with illustrations that show notable markings in a simple, useful way... but what is up with the maps!? The area maps are completely useless as they are way too busy, frequently manipulated in size and shape, and absolutely unusable. They quite literally give you a headache if you try too hard to see what in the world they might be trying to represent. Huge disappointment coming from the 'King of Maps', National Geographic. Flat our embarrassing effort on their part. Hopefully they will notice this utter failure and correct it in future additions. I'm kind of shocked. Sometimes, simpler is better. These maps are a hot mess at best, and that's a big part of what makes a field guide useful. It's a critical tool. I'm surprised by the poor effort and disappointed. Worst maps I've ever come across... but great if you're not interested in the range of a particular bird.
My Go to Bird Book
Love this book. The illustartions are clear and detailed. The information provided on each species is complete and informative. I have it on my bookshelf next to our window for quick and easy reference. This is my go to bird book.
Same great book in a more compact package.
All the information you need for birding out west, with a little less bulk. Excellent art -- painings are to be preferred over photos for ID purposes -- and highly-informative text in the species accounts. By eliminating those species never found west of the Rocky Mtns, the "Western" book has been made almost, though not quite, small enough to fit in a back pocket, and the relatively move compact size does help when in the field with it.
A borders Northwest friend
Gift for birding friend. She said she was lugging around a large edition of birds of the US. Since moving to the PNW this book gave her just what she needed when birding locally.
too small images
small difficult to use images. Too many spices - most of the spices shown in the book are not common to Western US- packed into a single book. This book would greatly benefit from a selection form a "less is more" approach, and full page illustrations. Alternative - a series of separate books, so one can select which part of the guide to take for a hike, yet still with big clear images of the beards.
Amateurs and pros alike will enjoy this book!
This is a perfect book for anyone who loves to watch birds or even just enjoy them in your backyard. The pictures are large and colorful, and the information included is amazing. Young kids or amateur watchers might not be interested in all of the info, but it's a great book for identifying and learning about birds. I gave this as a gift, and it was a hit. National Geographic has done an excellent job with this book.
Very Good Guidebook
My wife prefers the Sibley Guide but I like having several guides to reference and I do find this guide very good, very useful. The illustrations are very good.
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