National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Region

unusuable doorstop, had to give it 1 star

Compact, well-written, precise, comprehensive, informative, brilliant color plates, tough outer cover - what's not to like? Highly recommended.

I love these field guides! The photographs are fantastic, and are easy to navigate for quick identification. We enjoy looking at these books even when we aren't out scouting for new things to identify.

The National Audubon Society has long been respected as, among other things, the publisher of a series of top-notch field guides to the natural world in North America. Their volumes include birds, trees, butterflies, insects and spiders, wildflowers, mammals, rocks and minerals, mushrooms, fish... you name it. Several of the books are specific to geographic regions. This review is of the National Audubon Society FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS - WESTERN EDITION.This book is compact; it measures 4" x 7-1/2" x 1-1/2" thick, just the right size to fit into your pocket or day-pack if you're inclined to take it on a walk. It's very thoughtfully and logically organized with four major sections, as follows:INTRODUCTION This includes a discussion of both the art and science of birding and the organization of the book. It includes a highly detailed rendering of a "typical" bird with all the anatomical points used in the book identified by their common names.COLOR KEYThe avian kingdom is broken down into categories (long-legged waders, gull-like birds, owls, pigeon-like birds, hawks, tree-clinging birds, hummingbirds, perching birds, and so on.) Each category is assigned a silhouette. The categories are further broken down into families. So, in the category of hawks, we have ospreys, caracaras, vultures, hawks, falcons, harriers, kites, and eagles. Each family has its own silhouette symbol. COLOR PLATESThis is a series of color photographs of 676 birds. The photographs are organized by the categories mentioned above. Most of the color plates show adult males, but some distinctive females and juveniles are also shown, along with seasonal changes in plumage. Each photograph identifies the bird by its common name, gives its overall length, and cites the page on which you can find more complete details about it.Each color plate page has a thumb index with the silhouetted symbol for the birds on that page. The birds are arranged within their families by their predominant color, and the silhouettes are colored accordingly, to make it even easier to find your bird. SPECIES ACCOUNTSThese are the write-ups cited in the color plates. Each citation gives the pages on which photographs may be found, the common and Latin names for the bird, and brief descriptions of the birds physical appearance. It also includes information on its voice, habitat, nesting habits and eggs, and range. There's even a tiny map of North America with its range shaded in gray. At the end of this section is information about bird-watching, conservation, a glossary of terms used in the Guide, photographers' credits, and an index in both English and Latin. What makes this Guide so easy to use is the way the color plates are organized, Without knowing anything at all about birds, I was able to identify a brightly colored bird that was hopping around my garden one day, and it took me less than one minute to do so. All I had to do is flip through the color plates, using the silhouettes, until I found the one

I LOVE this field guide. This field guide is excellent as books by Roger Tory Peterson, who illustrated the birds. It's perfect for any age or any people who's interested in ornithology. This field guide only tells the birds in western regions of North America. This field guide have been helpful to me a lot of times. I've identified birds easily with this guide. Although this book was published a while ago, it looks as new as it was made these days! The photos are in full color. I think it shows all western region birds. Informations of each birds are also well written. So if you're intersted in North American birds, get this guide right now!

I see a new bird in town; I have to hurry and grab the binoculars and my trusty field book. The pages begin to slip out of the book and I fumble to try and retrieve them before the wind scatters them about. In the mean time, the not so patient bird flies away and I'm left disappointed having again missed a choice moment. I examine the loose pages and the worn cover of my trusty field book and decide it's not so trusty anymore. With mixed emotions, I reverently put away the old field book and buy me this new one. I've yet to find a bird in the new addition that I couldn't identify, including, a few rare instances when we get visitors from the East. A common crackle is not so common in Utah. But this field book told me that from time to time they will cross the great divide to visit their cousins in the West.If you like birding, you'll love this field guide; it's the best I've seen for a long while.