Smithsonian Birds of North America: West

This is one of the best and most complete bird guides. It's packed full of information. I highly recommend its use.

As others have said, this may not be the best field guide or natural history guide. Featuring one bird per page, it is a large/heavy book and thus not suitable for the field, but it does contain a wealth of interesting information for each species (including nesting info and flight patterns, which I haven't seen elsewhere). The main criticism I have is that it only provides a single good picture for each species (small sketches are provided for alternative views, juveniles, seasonal plumage, etc, but they are so small and simplistic, I haven't found them helpful). But for me, the main reason to get this book was for the tips on distinguishing similar species (at home or when back from the field). For each species, there is an inset box describing similar species (male or female, as noted), with details of how to distinguish between them. Whenever I see a bird that is new to me or that I'm not sure of, I always look up the bird I think it is, then compare it to the 'similar' birds to see if I can get a positive ID on it (kind of an elimination method when comparing markings, range, voice, etc). This feature has made this book an indispensable reference in my library of field guides and bird books. One note for future editions: It would be extremely useful if a page reference could be provided for the similar birds in the inset box. This avoids having to flip pages or going to the index to get more details on the similar birds (which are often not on nearby pages).

While looking for a gift for an elderly relative who likes to watch birds but is not an avid birder, I happened upon this gorgeous book and was so impressed with it.It is beautifully organized and illustrated. Birds are described by song, breeding habits, nesting, behavior, migration, population, flight pattern, conservation, as well as by the more obvious characteristics used for identification such as size, head, plummage, tail, markings, trill, and behavior.Each page is laid out so nicely and with great clarity, and has space for notes on where and when the bird was sighted.The silhouettes of the birds in flight was an interesting addition to the identification process.The author(s) also included the variations within each species (variations due to sex, juvenile status, seasonal characteristics, and genetic differences).One section contained the anatomy of a bird and another the orthinological terms, illustrated. Both were most interesting and added to making birds easier to identify.

This is a wonderful book; each page has a single bird on it with all related information to the bird i.e. migrations (map showing in color what time of year the bird is found where), feeders, identifacation with clear pictures, song of the bird, behavior, breeding, nesting, population, conservation, size, wingspan, family, species, nest identification tips and chart, and habitat locations. In my opinion this book would be classified as a "must have" for a lover of birds and especially for a novice just getting into birds it is a excellent identification tool.

As a 40+ year novice birdwatcher, and incurable lover of books, I have acquired numerous field guides over the years. Raised on Peterson, in recent years I have enjoyed the Audubon guides by Farrand. Looking for something newer, I was assured that "The Sibley Guide to Birds" was now the king of the hill. Next to Sibley on my dealer's bookshelf was this Alsop. I already knew the publisher-Dorling Kindersley. They have perfected the art of visual teaching. This same teaching technique works very well for a nature field guide. There is a single page devoted to each species. The page is well laid out but packed with the information you want. The illustrations are superb-better than the Sibley. This book is a masterpiece, and I think will become a well-loved legend. It far surpasses Sibley, Peterson, and other field guides at this general, comprehensive level. Despite its breadth, it would be perfect for a beginning birdwatcher of any age. It must be new-I can't find it reviewed anywhere!