Field Guides for Western North America (1 Viewer)

[MattDinUtah]

I've seen a few comments here and there about field guides, is there any consensus on what most birders think is the most useful or is there a forum favorite? I utilize the Audubon and Merlin (Cornell University) app on my phone but for me nothing is better than an old fashioned book. I have the Nat Geo guild to Western North American birds, just wondering if there is something better I should have in my pack.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I would get the Sibley Guide. There's an app version that's very good (including a wide range of calls) if you don't want to carry the book.

 

[lgonz1008]

People consider Sibley's to be the best one, but personally my go to guide is the NatGeo one, by extension, depending on where you live in the Western US, it might be good to have one for the whole of North America, since a lot of vagrants from the East end up in the Western states during migration.

 

[MattDinUtah]

Thanks everyone for the replies, and good tips on the Sibley app and having a comprehensive guide to deal with the vagrants. Very helpful!

 

[Mysticete]

I think the Sibley Eastern/Western versions and the Nat Geo guides complement each other well, and I would recommend both.

 

[raymie]

Sublet is best. I’m not a fan of the Nat Geo guides personally.

 

[qwerty5]

Sibley is great, it's my go to guide for any ID. I don't own the Nat Geo so I can't offer any comparison there, but I've heard it's a great guide. I would probably buy Sibley as well, since no two field guides have the same info. It's always nice to have multiple guides to look at. If you do buy Sibley, I would get the entire N.A. guide, since vagrants do show up, and you may take a trip to the East.

 

[raymie]

I wouldn't buy the big Sibley guide, just buy the Western one (and the Eastern one if you ever plan on going to eastern North America to bird). The smaller guides are more practical to carry into the field, and they cover pretty much every likely vagrant.

 

[Farrand]

I agree with everything that has been said here already, especially the value of having multiple guides, but would just add that Peterson still has a lot to offer and remains my first choice among the stack on my desk...Robbins, Pough, Nat Geo, Kortright, Sibley, etc.

 

[Mysticete]

The most useful thing about the Peterson to me is the Hawaiian bird section, since it's now the only guide that effectively covers the entire revised ABA area. That said I have never used it in the field, preferring my Sibley locally and usually my Nat Geo when traveling.

 

[Jim M.]

Also, I think the silhouettes in the back cover and the introduction about how to identify birds plus other features make Peterson maybe the best for new birders. Peterson is good at simplifying things for beginners and pointing out the most important things to focus on.