Peterson Field Guide To Birds Of Eastern & Central North America, Seventh Ed.: An Essential Field Guide for Birdwatchers with Identification Tools and ... of Eastern and Central North American Birds

Peterson is the classic field guide that taught many bird watchers how to identify a bird. With the first edition of this book, published in 1934, Peterson introduced the concept of field marks. These are distinguishing features (labeled with arrows on his drawings) that allow the observer to identify the bird using binoculars. Previously, even professional ornithologists often used a shotgun to collect an identity an unusual bird. Peterson’s guide and the availability of good optics, binoculars and telescopes, acted as an accelerant on the popularity of bird watching, or birding as it is often called.The guide features Peterson’s wonderful paintings which show the idealized bird, with distinctive field marks, like a bright eye stripe, highlighted by an arrow. The illustrations are fairly large, with a facing page written description and range map. Typically, both male and female of the species are shown, and in some cases immatures. For some species, illustrations include views of the flying bird. It’s an excellent tool to start learning about birds.There are numerous other field guides, David Allen Sibley has another excellent guide using his paintings of the birds. Sibley tries to show all plumages of each species . As a result, the images are smaller. The guide includes a written description and range maps too. Both Sibley and Peterson are fine artists in addition to being ornithologists.Other field guides use digital photos of the birds rather than paintings. Both Kenn Kaufman and Richard Crossley have published guides using this method. The Crossley guide includes photos of birds as they appear at far distance, a feature that sometimes helps with that bird at the limit of view.Finally, there are is the Merlin bird app from Cornell University. This one helps you identify the bird by asking a few questions and then presents a series of likely birds for you to consider. It ends with a button that says “That’s my bird”. Merlin links to other photos of females and immatures, and written text about habitat and range.So there are many field guide options, and every birder has a favorite. Personally, I tend to go to Peterson first, and still flip through it looking at various species I might run across in the field. But, I use the others frequently too. They all help made one a better birder. My on complaint about this edition of Peterson is the size, too big to easily fit in a pants pocket, but that’s very minor.I’d also encourage birders to study each bird, learn to make notes, rely on you impressions to identify a bird rather than constantly flipping back and from guide book to bird. It will make you a better birder. One true benefit of the popularity of birding is it takes you through a series of steps from wonder at the beauty of the bird, to anticipation of when you’ll see it, to concern about conservation of the species . Over the forty years I’ve been birding, there has been an alarming decline in the number of birds. Hopefully new readers of the Peterson guide will take that journey, and become advocates for preserving the diversity of birds in their neighborhood..

Our favorite bird field guide. Absolute love the updates that have been made to this edition. The quick index in both front and back of book is such a great time saver when you need to find a species fast.There's a lot of other good bird books out there. And it's really helpful to have more than one to compare images. Not all birds look exactly like what the guides show. Sibley's has nice helpful images and we like it. But if we could only have one field guide, Peterson's would be our choice for best identification. Especially now with range maps on the same page as the bird.

I love this book! Helpful in identifying my backyard visitors in SW Ohio. Detailed pictures, showing different colorings and variations. Maps of locations and migration patterns. Descriptions of physical features and songs/calls. It even has a little log in the back where you can check off which birds you've seen while birdwatching.The listing says this is a "hardcover", however, it's not. It is more like a laminated cardstock thickness. But the pages are glossy and not easily damaged.

the peterson guides are always excellent. I have at least four or five other bird books and this one is my first choice

Decent guide but my 40 year old one seems a bit sturdier and better illustrations

I have moved to a new area of the country. My curiosity caused me to buy this book. I have loved identifying many new feathered friends. The book is simple to use. The small size makes it easy to carry in the field. My sister loves hers for back yard birding.

Got it for a gift for my brother for help with identifying birds on his feeders. Petersons is a great field guide for IDs.

Nice updated version!!