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what's your favorite N. American Guide?
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<blockquote data-quote="jedigrant" data-source="post: 1376793" data-attributes="member: 17490"><p>I've got all the major NA field guides, and just about all of them period. Here are my brief thoughts on them. I've included links to full reviews that I've done if you'd like to read more.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Painted</span></strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Sibley</strong> - my favorite. I use the "large" one as my primary guide. If I ever take a guide out into the field with me, I'll take the appropriate regional/small one. My favorite things about it are the number of illustrations per species (no other NA guide shows each bird in flight or as much variation), and the "Peterson" arrows annotated with the field mark (this was the only one to do that until NatGeo added it to its new regional guides). </p><p><a href="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/na_sibley.htm" target="_blank">Full Review</a></p><p></p><p><strong>National Geographic</strong> - a very good guide, and I believe still the only one to show every species recorded in NA at the time of its publication (there have been a couple since then). However, some of the illustrations just don't do it for me, but that's at least somewhat a personal preference. I don't have the regional ones, but from what I've seen I think the annotated arrows really help.</p><p><a href="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/na_national_geographic.htm" target="_blank">Full Review</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Peterson</strong> - the new, combined guide is an improvement over the previous regional ones. This is a good guide for beginners, but not really a good <em>field</em> guide for most birders. However, there are other reasons why one would want it, such as to enjoy Peterson's art.</p><p><a href="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/peterson_field_guide_birds.htm" target="_blank">Full Review</a></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Photographic</span></strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Smithsonian</strong> - my favorite NA photographic guide. It gives a good number of photos per species, and the included DVD of bird songs is a fantastic addition (even if you already have the Stokes or some other collection) </p><p><a href="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/smithsonian_field_guide_to_birds.htm" target="_blank">Full Review</a></p><p></p><p><strong>National Wildlife Federation</strong> - another great photographic guide, and very similar overall to the Smithsonian one. To me, it just barely loses out to the Smithsonian because of the DVD.</p><p></p><p><strong>Kaufman</strong> - the best photo guide for beginners, but perhaps not quite as good for more experienced birders as the two preceding. </p><p></p><p>For more details on these, and a couple other guides, here is a <a href="http://www.birderslibrary.com/features/photographic-field-guide-comparison.htm" target="_blank">comparison table</a>.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Field guide choice is a very personal and subjective thing. All the ones mentioned here will work. The best thing to do is to check them all out and decide for yourself which one you like best. And then buy them all anyways <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />. Seriously, though, you will want as many as possible, and at least one of each illustration type.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jedigrant, post: 1376793, member: 17490"] I've got all the major NA field guides, and just about all of them period. Here are my brief thoughts on them. I've included links to full reviews that I've done if you'd like to read more. [B][SIZE="5"]Painted[/SIZE][/B] [B]Sibley[/B] - my favorite. I use the "large" one as my primary guide. If I ever take a guide out into the field with me, I'll take the appropriate regional/small one. My favorite things about it are the number of illustrations per species (no other NA guide shows each bird in flight or as much variation), and the "Peterson" arrows annotated with the field mark (this was the only one to do that until NatGeo added it to its new regional guides). [URL="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/na_sibley.htm"]Full Review[/URL] [B]National Geographic[/B] - a very good guide, and I believe still the only one to show every species recorded in NA at the time of its publication (there have been a couple since then). However, some of the illustrations just don't do it for me, but that's at least somewhat a personal preference. I don't have the regional ones, but from what I've seen I think the annotated arrows really help. [URL="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/na_national_geographic.htm"]Full Review[/URL] [B]Peterson[/B] - the new, combined guide is an improvement over the previous regional ones. This is a good guide for beginners, but not really a good [I]field[/I] guide for most birders. However, there are other reasons why one would want it, such as to enjoy Peterson's art. [URL="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/peterson_field_guide_birds.htm"]Full Review[/URL] [B][SIZE="5"]Photographic[/SIZE][/B] [B]Smithsonian[/B] - my favorite NA photographic guide. It gives a good number of photos per species, and the included DVD of bird songs is a fantastic addition (even if you already have the Stokes or some other collection) [URL="http://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/smithsonian_field_guide_to_birds.htm"]Full Review[/URL] [B]National Wildlife Federation[/B] - another great photographic guide, and very similar overall to the Smithsonian one. To me, it just barely loses out to the Smithsonian because of the DVD. [B]Kaufman[/B] - the best photo guide for beginners, but perhaps not quite as good for more experienced birders as the two preceding. For more details on these, and a couple other guides, here is a [URL="http://www.birderslibrary.com/features/photographic-field-guide-comparison.htm"]comparison table[/URL]. Field guide choice is a very personal and subjective thing. All the ones mentioned here will work. The best thing to do is to check them all out and decide for yourself which one you like best. And then buy them all anyways :). Seriously, though, you will want as many as possible, and at least one of each illustration type. [/QUOTE]
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