Princeton Guide to North American Birds (1 Viewer)

[John Cantelo]

Rumours about this guide illustrated by Ian Lewington have been around for so long (20 years?) that I was beginning to think that it was an urban myth. It certainly rivals Beaman & Madge's 'Handbook of Bird Identification" for length of gestation. However, I've read via a post on FB that Lewington has nearly finished the artwork & says that "there's a light at the end of the tunnel." The same source shows a sample of the illustrations (Brown Pelican) which is simply gorgeous. It seems that the Americans won't have too long to wait for a book to rival the 'Collins Guide' for the technical virtuosity of the illustrations. However, the publication date remains TBA ...

 

[Butty]

the Americans won't have too long to wait for a book to rival the 'Collins Guide' for the technical virtuosity of the illustrations

😲🤔 Pardon?!

 

[Mysticete]

😲🤔 Pardon?!

The Collins field guide for European birds is rightfully considered to be one of the best field guides out there, certainly one with the best consistently good art. The artist behind that one is working on this Princeton guide

 

[Butty]

Sibley.

 

[Sangahyando]

Sibley.

Sibley is good, but some of the illustrations don't get the proportions or posture quite right. Particularly noticable in bill shape/size in some (but not all, oddly enough) of the illustrations of raptors and gulls. It's not a huge deal overall, but I guess that is what John was getting at.

 

[Mysticete]

Sibley is great for some tough to ID groups likes sparrows and gulls. However the format makes the book kind of a beast to use, since the full book is ginormous while the regional versions still only have two species per layout.

With potential changes to the Nat Geo book underway, I imagine Princeton will be my go to guide, and if the illustrations are as good as some hope might also take the place of Sibley. My only misgivings is that the book is not using a taxonomic approach to organization, which I personally find easier to use.

 

[pbjosh]

I find the Sibley guide a bit overrated. The art that is there is pretty good in most cases but in some cases (seabirds, for instance) it’s pretty underwhelming. In general, far too few plumages / sexes / ages are illustrated. The text is not terribly helpful nor is there a lot of it. And there’s a lot of white space making the book bigger but not adding value. Collins is really in another league and it makes you wonder a bit that the US has several competing field guides but none really do as good a job.

 

[pbjosh]

The same source shows a sample of the illustrations (Brown Pelican) which is simply gorgeous.

I have seen that circulating as well. If that plate is representative of the quantity and quality of art, it should be a big step forward for the state of field guides for the ABA area.

Does anyone know what the scope of coverage is?

I certainly hope that they don’t call it a guide to North American birds but being Princeton, who has just this year produced a Guide to North American Flycatchers that misses out a ton of North America, I assume they’ll call it that anyways.

 

[Butty]

Does anyone know what the scope of coverage is?

Why would it (for reasons of practicality/utility - forget the name) be other than USA+Canada?
Herewith a link to the previous North America/Mexico discussion so that we don't have to have it all over again. Please 🙏🏻
Thread 'Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees' Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees

 

[Mysticete]

I have seen that circulating as well. If that plate is representative of the quantity and quality of art, it should be a big step forward for the state of field guides for the ABA area.

Does anyone know what the scope of coverage is?

I certainly hope that they don’t call it a guide to North American birds but being Princeton, who has just this year produced a Guide to North American Flycatchers that misses out a ton of North America, I assume they’ll call it that anyways.

It's almost certainly going to be continental US and Canada, even if the term "North America" is not accurate, I can't imagine something with a format like Collins covering all birds from Panama north, and even Mexico would be a lot. You would need a forklift to move the book!

 

[pbjosh]

Why would it (for reasons of practicality/utility - forget the name) be other than USA+Canada?
Herewith a link to the previous North America/Mexico discussion so that we don't have to have it all over again. Please 🙏🏻
Thread 'Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees' Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees

Still not clear if Hawaii, for instance, would be included. Or Puerto Rico…

 

[pbjosh]

It's almost certainly going to be continental US and Canada, even if the term "North America" is not accurate, I can't imagine something with a format like Collins covering all birds from Panama north, and even Mexico would be a lot. You would need a forklift to move the book!

I agree! That’s why it should have a different name

 

[RafaelMatias]

I have seen that circulating as well. If that plate is representative of the quantity and quality of art, it should be a big step forward for the state of field guides for the ABA area.

Is there a link for this? I'm sure plenty of people are just as curious as I am!

 

[THE_FERN]

The same source shows a sample of the illustrations (Brown Pelican) which is simply gorgeous.

Yes does look good. But the text is too big and intrusive on the plate. Distracts from the illustrations themselves.

 

[THE_FERN]

Is there a link for this? I'm sure plenty of people are just as curious as I am!

https://ca.audubon.org/sites/default/files/static_pages/attachments/id_guide_0.pdf

 

[RafaelMatias]

https://ca.audubon.org/sites/default/files/static_pages/attachments/id_guide_0.pdf

Very nice illustrations indeed... Thanks!
I totally agree with your remarks regarding text size. I'd also add the font chosen should be reevaluated, not the best choice perhaps. The ultimate goal for a field guide is functionality, agreed, but with this kind of exceptional illustrations it will be a pitty if the aesthetics aspect is not fully taken into account as well.

 

[Mysticete]

Very nice illustrations indeed... Thanks!
I totally agree with your remarks regarding text size. I'd also add the font chosen should be reevaluated, not the best choice perhaps. The ultimate goal for a field guide is functionality, agreed, but with this kind of exceptional illustrations it will be a pitty if the aesthetics aspect is not fully taken into account as well.

That illustration has been circulating online for YEARS, so its very possibly not the "final" format of the plate.

 

[RafaelMatias]

That illustration has been circulating online for YEARS, so its very possibly not the "final" format of the plate.

That crossed my mind, but you never know...

 

[jurek]

Would love to see this book appearing!

 

[blackburnian2000]

Killian Mullarney in a talk a few months back showed off some of Ian Lewington's plates, including longspurs, flickers, Mississippi Kite, and prairie-chickens. They really do look beautiful. I recommend the whole talk for Killian's perspective on the philosophy of field guides.