Pocket field guide for Ohio song birds (1 Viewer)

[cjp1953]

This is for Ohio bird watchers but anyone with suggestions would be most welcomed.I'm looking for a good pocket size book that I could carry in the field and keep close by indoors when watching my feeder.I'm getting more birds now but am very new to this and would like to identify those birds visiting my feeder here in North East Ohio.Thanks to all who responds in advance.

 

[cjp1953]

I hope I posted this in the right forum,please move this thread to the proper one as I'm still learning about this wonderful forum.

 

[Butty]

I'm surprised - disappointed, in fact - that you've not had a reply here, and I don't have the local knowledge to advise you well. But...
I suspect from your request that what you really need is something that's beginner-standard simple and/or limited to garden - sorry, 'yard' - birds and/or restricted to NE North America. And I don't know of one.
So, unless someone American comes up with something, you may consider this:

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America : David Allen Sibley : 9780307957917

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America by David Allen Sibley, 9780307957917, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide.

www.bookdepository.com

This also has the advantages that it's an absolutely top-notch book for any birder, depends largely just on the excellent illustrations (with a few accompanying short notes), and its coverage of species beyond your current needs may encourage you to enjoy birding in a wider way.

 

[nartreb]

You're not going to find a printed guide for birds of just Ohio (though you might find a list on Wikipedia). You want a guide to birds of Eastern North America. (Ohio gets the same birds as the rest of the eastern US, minus some subtropical and pelagic species.) I'm partial to the Peterson guide myself: Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern & Central North America but I hear great things about the National Geographic NG Field Guide to Birds of North America, and you can't go far wrong with the Sibley.

None of these are really pocket-sized; you just won't get much use out of a guide that's too small.

More opinions here: Best bird guides by region...North America

 

[Butty]

If your focus is really on birds at feeders, I've come across this:

Field Guide to Feeder Birds : Roger Tory Peterson : 9780618059447

Field Guide to Feeder Birds by Roger Tory Peterson, 9780618059447, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide.

www.bookdepository.com

Small and cheap.

 

[cjp1953]

Thank you both for the name of these books.I'll look into them.I'm interested in birds in this part of the country and my region. I should look into groups that do bird watching as I live near a National Park.Thank you again Butty and nartreb.You gave me a great starting point.

 

[Fandango739]

Actually, there IS a pocket size book entitled "Birds of Ohio," by Stan Tekiela. I have seen his work for another state and found Birds of Ohio easily on Amazon.com. The photos tend to be good, plus there are adequate notes for novice birders. It would be small enough to carry in the field.

Birds of Ohio Field Guide (Bird Identification Guides): Tekiela, Stan: 9781591939610: Amazon.com: Books

Personally, I would say jump in all the way and go with one of the bigger books: Sibley or Peterson.

 

[cjp1953]

Actually, there IS a pocket size book entitled "Birds of Ohio," by Stan Tekiela. I have seen his work for another state and found Birds of Ohio easily on Amazon.com. The photos tend to be good, plus there are adequate notes for novice birders. It would be small enough to carry in the field.

Birds of Ohio Field Guide (Bird Identification Guides): Tekiela, Stan: 9781591939610: Amazon.com: Books

Personally, I would say jump in all the way and go with one of the bigger books: Sibley or Peterson.

Thanks I was looking today and saw that book you mentioned.Might have to get more than one.

 

[Microtus]

Thanks I was looking today and saw that book you mentioned.Might have to get more than one.

It's good to have more than one book.

 

[qwerty5]

Thanks I was looking today and saw that book you mentioned.Might have to get more than one.

Sibley is a must-have in my opinion. As Microtus said, it's always better to have more than one field guide.

 

[Mike Earp]

This is for Ohio bird watchers but anyone with suggestions would be most welcomed.I'm looking for a good pocket size book that I could carry in the field and keep close by indoors when watching my feeder.I'm getting more birds now but am very new to this and would like to identify those birds visiting my feeder here in North East Ohio.Thanks to all who responds in advance.

Not a pocket guide but there is/was a CD of songs and calls of 103 of Ohio’s most common breeding birds that are found primarily in upland habitats. The accompanying guide book is online here, together with a number of other "field guides" from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Not sure if/how the CD is still available - or this, which is a bit more comprehensive.