Birds of Grand Teton: And the Surrounding Area

Rating:
Summary: Useful for beginners viewing from a car
Review: This is not an exhaustive list of Grand Teton birds. Though I am far from expert, I regularly spotted birds that do not have a listing in the text. (The checklist in the back seems pretty exhaustive, though.)

However, the book is very useful if your interests lie in spotting birds in GTNP. Raynes knows the area well and discusses the habitats of the park, the birds to be found in each habitat, and provides a map showing you how to find what you want. The book provides a surer guide to finding things than a guide covering a wider area such as the Audubon guides. On the other hand, the Audubon guides provide much more coverage and are more dependable for identifying things that you see.

Another limitation of the book is that many of the habitats that Raynes discusses lie off-road. The book doesn't provide any guidance for finding trails that will get you to the habitat and birds you're looking for. Unless you want to stay in your car, you'll need a guide to trails.

If you do stay in your car, you should know that the road map is incomplete. For example, it does not show the dirt road out to Two Ocean Lake or the dirt road along the right bank of the Snake. (Both of these are really only for four-wheel drive vehicles but are useful access points to good habitat.)

The book would be most useful for beginning birders or park visitors who aren't really birders but would like to identify the birds that come their way. It is lightweight and will fit in many pants or jacket pockets.