Customer Reviews

America's 100 Most Wanted Birds

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While there is something here for everyone, there is also info that people won't want. The choice of limiting the scope of the book to the lower 48 is interesting. It makes all the locations (relativly) accessable. It also means that some birds which are included (like Ross' Gull) are difficult to pin down in the lower 48 (they can point to no pattern of occurence) but are definitly finadable in North America (Churchill, Canada in this case).

The rarity of the 100 birds varies greatly. There are many birds which are so rare that no pattern of occurence can be given, while others are quite regular in certain areas (ie Pacific Golden-Plover). The book is most usefull for the rare birds which show clear patterns of occurence (like Tuffted Duck in the San Fransico Bay Area or Cook's and Stejneger's Petrels of the California coast). This book is just usefull for listers. Each description includes information on ID, which can be very difficult to find on some of these rare species.

Is this book a must have? No. But for many birders, who seem to lust after every bird book on the planet, this book is a usefull addition to a personal collection.

This is a rather unusual 'Bird Book'and certainly not a book someone just starting out in Birding would find very helpful.In the first few years of birding one finds new birds to see without chasing all over North America,to find rare birds listed in this book.However;that being said the book makes for interesting reading as to what are some of the most sought after birds that Birders are on the search for as their North America life list grows past the 500's.
What birds were included could be debated.Some are quite easily found at the right time and location while others require a lot of effort unless staked out,or on an up-to date Hot Line posting.The birds included are very well described ,with excellent directions and information on occurrence.
Even if one were not intending to chase down all these birds,it is certainly a good book covering these prized additions and where one might find them.This is not a book you would take with you during a day of birding;but certainly a great asset to turn to if you are planning a trip away from your normal surrounds and want to make sure you know about and hopefully add one of these birds to your list.
Although the book limits itself to the Lower 48 states,it is still useful to birders who keep an ABA list,although directions and details are not provided outside the Lower '48'.
All in all,a great book for an avid birder whose birding ranges over the ABA.

This book is usefull to birders and listers in delineating how to seek out some of the more unusual avian visitors to the US. At times though you wonder if the information provided would truly help you "get" the bird.