Customer Reviews

Birds of North America: Life Histories of More Than 930 Species

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has more information than any other book I own. You will find birds listed here that you won't find elsewhere and the information offered is second to none. Considering the cost of this book, the value is tremendous. You will find common names, scientific names, very specific identification notes and interesting facts on all the birds listed. In the upper right hand corner of each page is a diagram showing the relative size of the bird to the size of this book and this is very helpful. You'll also find information on breeding, nesting and basic behavioral aspects of each listing. I personally recommend this book to any casual or enthusiastic birder.

This is one of the best bird books that I've ever read! It is a very complete book featuring more species than any other North American bird book. The pictures are great. Each of the profiles are concise, and include many interesting facts. I also really like the way this book includes pages that give information about the bird families and orders. Even the distribution maps are great-- they use orange for the summer range instead of using yellow like some older books, which can be very hard to see, and I like the way it uses asterisks to show areas where a vagrant has been recorded instead of just telling you. The idea of listing, describing, and showing small photographs of similar species on almost every profile can also be a big help for me when I try to identify unfamiliar birds, so I don't confuse them with others that may be quite similar.

In comparison to other books like Audubon and Peterson, I think that this book is much better. It includes more species, more information, and is arranged much better. Peterson can get quite confusing. In Audubon, I don't like the way that you have to turn all the way to the back of the book to get information on species and see a range map. I'd rather have everything on the same page; Smithsonian meets this criteria!

There couldn't be any better book on birds. Buy this book! It's great!!!

Birds of North America written by Fred J. Alsop is one of the most complete books on birds of North America that I've seen.

The contents of this book is comprehensive and has a very well-written introduction and a how the book works section, this describes how the books pages are set-up for easy indentification of the birds you find in the wild. The guide to visual references helps again to further refine your classification and a identifing of the bird you've found.

There is an anatomy, topography, and variations sections; also a how to identify birds, birds in flight and by silhouette, but to further hone your indentifing of your birds, there is a behavior, abundance and distribution; classification and how to watch birds in the backyard, along with those in the field.

There is a very fine glossary and index with this book to get the birder to the species you've found. this book classifies birds by species... this I found is the best and fastest way to find and classify to birds you're looking for.

I highly recommend this book for those who really need a book for their birding experience. Along the outside margins of the pages, there is a place for a date, time and location on the page for you when you spot a bird species.

All in all, this is by far, one of the best bird book that I've seen. Excellent choice for a gift for the birder in your family or to get the children involved in what is around them while the are with you on walks through the woods.

If you love birds, you may want to add this book to your collection. Clearly it is not a field guide: too heavy and bulky. It does, however, contain a great deal of information that will help in the never ending quest to find and identify another bird. Each bird listed has a section on song, behavior, breeding habits, nesting, population, and conservation. Flight patterns, nest identification, and habitat are also described iconically. Good range maps are included. The "photos" will not help much in identifying birds, but a complementary guide such as Sibley's can fill in the gap nicely. Place this book on your coffee table, open it often to learn another tidbit about one of those birds you haven't yet seen, and I don't think it will be disappointing.

Our daughter has discovered a love of birds, so this year we put out a couple of bird feeders and bought this book to help her identify which species come to eat. It's full of information, fairly easy to search, and has great pictures. It seems comprehensive, which sometimes makes it a chore to find a specific bird, but that's to be expected. We are thrilled with it.

I recently bought this for my neighbor, after she borrowed mine and asked where I got it. We are just backyard birders, but live near a small lake and have an abundant bird life in the area. We need a book like this to be able to figure out what we're seeing.

So - it's good for all "levels" of birders.

If you just started birdwatching, or are even the occasional "What's this in my garden?" this book will last you a lifetime. It's amazing.

The book is one of the best bird books. The condition of the book was not as it was described. The cover was either chewed up by a teething dog or child. The company was very good to credit me so I am happy .

This is a great addition to any home or collection. This book has the family, species(latin name),length, wingspan, plumage habitat, weight, nesting, and more for over 930 species of North American birds on over 1000 pages.

Just got home from B&N, where I saw this book -- I spent a LOT of time flipping through it ... talk about lust! I must have this book ... must must must. After this review I'll buy it now at [...]. I knew [...] would have it at a discount (no discount on it at B&N), plus this tome is very heavy ... and I already had a stack of books (seriously discounted) that I couldn't part with. I'm not even a serious birder, but I love birds and keep track of those that visit my Brooklyn patio (you'd be amazed at the variety!). Can't wait 'til it shows up ... this is truly a handsome book, chock full of terrific photos and info. Splurge and treat yourself!