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Summary: Bird Book
Review: 4 star boo
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful book
Review: After going through several other guides (some too bulky, some too useless), this one is perfect. It is extremely thorough, and is set up to be very user-friendly. Using it, we have correctly identified almost a dozen birds that we had been mystified by or had incorrectly identified using other guides. Especially helpful are the many different kinds of views given, including what the birds look like in flight, from below, which is one of the more frequent ways a bird is seen. We have yet to encounter a bird this guide could not identify. If you outgrow this one, consider going professional!
Rating:
Summary: It does it all for less-experienced birders
Review: After going through several other guides (some too bulky, some too useless), this one is perfect. It is extremely thorough, and is set up to be very user-friendly. Using it, we have correctly identified almost a dozen birds that we had been mystified by or had incorrectly identified using other guides. Especially helpful are the many different kinds of views given, including what the birds look like in flight, from below, which is one of the more frequent ways a bird is seen. We have yet to encounter a bird this guide could not identify. If you outgrow this one, consider going professional!
Rating:
Summary: The one-and-only definitive source....period.
Review: An absolute MUST for ANYONE interested in birding. Roger Tory Peterson, may he rest in peace, was the ultimate guru of birding! This book should be required reference for any birder, amateur or pro!
Rating:
Summary: Birding at its best!
Review: Being a nature freak myself, I enjoy just leafing through this guide to look at all of the wonderful species of birds that there are, just in Eastern North America. Peterson's genious and talent are very evident in this book. His drawings show his meticulous efforts to help educate beginners and pros alike about the wonderful world of Ornithology. Although the gull and warbler section of the book are quite lengthy, they are so important because of the great diversity of those species. This is a fantastic companion on family trips, especially those that are out of your normal realm. I first used the field guide in my junior Honors Biology class when we watched in the fall for the migrating geese and ducks and also in the spring for the returning travelers. Peterson specifically notes the identification arrows that can eleviate confusion about certain members of the same genus. Also, his range maps assist in answering questions about the whereabouts of certain birds at certain times of the year. I love to feed birds in my backyard while identifying all of my visitors throughout the summer. His checklist is also very helpful. My most thrilling birding moment was when I saw a pair of bald eagles hunting for fish within two miles of my high school! To see them in the book and to see them in person are two completely different things. Also, another area of interest is the description of the calls of birds. I always wonder how someone could come up with words to describe the sound that a bird makes. But Peterson does a wonderful job in describing these tones. Another helpful entity is his overhead views of the larger birds, like eagles and hawks.
All in all this guide is one of the most helpful guides I have ever used. This is the perfect type of company that you should take on your vacations, camping trips, and outdoor activities. Not only does this guide help to identify birds in their natural habitat, it also helps people appreciate the gifts that nature has to offer. Peterson's descriptions are unmatched in the world of birding and birdwatching. From mergansers to kites to finches to exotics, this guide covers all birds, all in one cover.
Rating:
Summary: Birding at its best!
Review: Being a nature freak myself, I enjoy just leafing through this guide to look at all of the wonderful species of birds that there are, just in Eastern North America. Peterson's genious and talent are very evident in this book. His drawings show his meticulous efforts to help educate beginners and pros alike about the wonderful world of Ornithology. Although the gull and warbler section of the book are quite lengthy, they are so important because of the great diversity of those species. This is a fantastic companion on family trips, especially those that are out of your normal realm. I first used the field guide in my junior Honors Biology class when we watched in the fall for the migrating geese and ducks and also in the spring for the returning travelers. Peterson specifically notes the identification arrows that can eleviate confusion about certain members of the same genus. Also, his range maps assist in answering questions about the whereabouts of certain birds at certain times of the year. I love to feed birds in my backyard while identifying all of my visitors throughout the summer. His checklist is also very helpful. My most thrilling birding moment was when I saw a pair of bald eagles hunting for fish within two miles of my high school! To see them in the book and to see them in person are two completely different things. Also, another area of interest is the description of the calls of birds. I always wonder how someone could come up with words to describe the sound that a bird makes. But Peterson does a wonderful job in describing these tones. Another helpful entity is his overhead views of the larger birds, like eagles and hawks.
All in all this guide is one of the most helpful guides I have ever used. This is the perfect type of company that you should take on your vacations, camping trips, and outdoor activities. Not only does this guide help to identify birds in their natural habitat, it also helps people appreciate the gifts that nature has to offer. Peterson's descriptions are unmatched in the world of birding and birdwatching. From mergansers to kites to finches to exotics, this guide covers all birds, all in one cover.
Rating:
Summary: Complete informative and educational
Review: For a begining birder I found this book very good as a guide and very easy to use. It has helped me to identify over 50 different birds visiting my back yard feeders.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Color Plates!
Review: I am new to birding and found the Peterson Field Guide to be the most useful of all of the birding books I own. What makes this one so great is the multitude of color plates. A good example is that instead of showing a color picture of one red finch, there are 11 color pictures displaying variations in red finches. If I had to pick one birding book, this would be it. I have given this one as a gift several times.
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Summary: A typical Peterson Field guide.
Review: I found this book to be typical of all Peterson guides. It's a useful book to have but not the best available. In typical Peterson fashion the book shows illustrations of birds instead of photos. While some find this more useful for showing details all too often I've found that the drawings like little like the actualy birds.However this book does contain the bird's comman and scientific name for each species. In addition it has a physical description of coloration and markings, a description of the habitats where they are likely to be found, their geographic distribution, notes on their song and any similar species when applicable. I find that this is a nice addition to the Stoke's Field Guide which shows pictures instead drawings. Definitely a nice addition to your library.
Rating:
Summary: A step above the rest
Review: I have an older edition of this book and must say that it's the best field guide available. It's a true classic and is always the one that goes with me out in the field. There's nothing missing. The bird drawings are truly the best I've seen in a bird identification book. It's also the easiest to carry along when I go birding. A step above all of the others. Roger Tory Peterson truly produced an indispensable field guide.
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