Birds of New Mexico: Field Guide

Rating:
Summary: A very useful general guide
Review: This isn't a guide for the serious birdwatcher: it covers the 140 most common birds of New Mexico, not every bird that you'll ever see in the state, and the descriptions of the species vary considerably in depth. Also, although the photos are generally very good, some don't show the significant details that help you to recognize a particular species: the photo of the scaled quail, for example, doesn't convey the bird's distinctive "cotton-top" look, and often the head is the only part you can see as it scuttles away through the brush.

On the other hand, this is an easy-to-use, convenient guide for the casual birdwatcher or the curious tourist. Birds are listed by color, and, in species where the sexes are different colors, both males and females are shown. The maps of the bird's distribution in the state are helpful too, as the regional maps in other popular field guides don't show this level of detail. This isn't the guide I'll take with me on my annual birding pilgrimage to the Bosque del Apache, but I'll keep it in my car and lend it to my guests from out of state.

Rating:
Summary: A very useful general guide
Review: This isn't a guide for the serious birdwatcher: it covers the 140 most common birds of New Mexico, not every bird that you'll ever see in the state, and the descriptions of the species vary considerably in depth. Also, although the photos are generally very good, some don't show the significant details that help you to recognize a particular species: the photo of the scaled quail, for example, doesn't convey the bird's distinctive "cotton-top" look, and often the head is the only part you can see as it scuttles away through the brush.

On the other hand, this is an easy-to-use, convenient guide for the casual birdwatcher or the curious tourist. Birds are listed by color, and, in species where the sexes are different colors, both males and females are shown. The maps of the bird's distribution in the state are helpful too, as the regional maps in other popular field guides don't show this level of detail. This isn't the guide I'll take with me on my annual birding pilgrimage to the Bosque del Apache, but I'll keep it in my car and lend it to my guests from out of state.