Stokes Field Guide to Warblers

Excellent field guide for beginners and experts alike. Referred by the top birders in the Audubon Society with whom I have asked about a warblers field guide. Was well received as a gift, and I purchased one for myself as well.

This book is very valuable. Able to see everything I want to know when I am in the field or just reviewing.

This book is well organized and easy to use to identify warblers. Sorted by dominant color, it quickly narrows down those options, if one color dominates. The photos are beautiful. The accompanying descriptions include clues to look for in each case, often giving the final detail that separates one species from another. The book's best feature is the maps. These include datelines to show where the birds are likely to be during migration, one for spring and one for the fall. So I know that Yellow-rumped Warblers going through my backyard are a little behind schedule, probably due the warm fall of 2006. In southwestern lower Michigan, I'm just a little north of the identified winter range anyway, so it's not really a great surprise that they are still moving through. I have two comments that reduce this from a five star to a four star book. Both are a matter of personal choice, so others might use these same reasons to push from 4 to 5. First, photos show me the appearance of the bird in the picture, not the possibilities for the species. The Yellow-Rumped Warblers I have seen over the last three days do not look exactly like those in the photos. The drawings in my Peterson guide were at least as helpful in my identification. Second, this is more critical to me. The book does not in my pocket or my fanny pack with my more comprehensive field guide. In any case, this is a very useful reference for identifying warblers.

Bird enthusiasts take notice: the Stokeses have done it again! With this newest guide in their excellent series of books dedicated to individual bird families, they have, as the saying goes, 'raised the bar' for field guides. There are three key features (in no particular order, as each is important) that make the Stokes Field Guide to Warblers a must-have for casual and fanatical birders alike. 1. YOU'LL LEARN THE BIRDS. The unique, tried-and-true, and extremely effective Stokes organization/teaching method will help birders sort the sometimes-confusing warblers into logical groups (by color). This is accomplished (as with all Stokes field guides) with the aid of color tabs; the color of each tab is the birds' dominant color(s). From there, key characteristics are utilized to help narrow a bird down to species. Especially useful are the opening section on learning the Yellow-rumped Warblers and the section dealing with dull-plumaged (i.e. fall) warblers. I also think the inset showing the undertail pattern of each warbler is an excellent feature, as warblers are frequently seen from beneath. In short, this is THE guide for learning the warblers--period. 2. PHOTOGRAPHY. Readers of the "Stokes Beginner's Guide" series will have become accustomed to the unparalleled beauty of the photography; the photos in this book are certainly up to that standard and beyond. Frankly, this is the most stunning photography I have ever seen in any bird book! When you first have this guide in your hands, prepare to have your jaw drop, and prepare to have warbler mania take hold of you. 3. INFORMATIVE CONTENT. A critical aspect of knowing what bird you're seeing is knowing which birds you are likely to see. In a series of boxes in the book's opening sections, the warblers are grouped in a variety of ways (e.g. migration timing, habitat, etc.) so that you can narrow down the list of possibilities BEFORE you even begin warbler-watching! With each species account there is also a pair of migration maps, one for spring and one for fall (with bars showing arrival dates), so that you can see when and where a given warbler is likely to appear. Life history information is also included--again, as with all Stokes field guides. But enough from me; you must see this book for yourself. You will absolutely love it! Get your hands on a copy so that you'll be ready for spring . . .