Customer Reviews

National Geographic Birding Essentials

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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National Geographic's Birding Essentials has a lot of great information. However, it is a bit hit and miss (mostly hit), and I'll try to explain why.

First, the "birding essentials" part is debatable. External bird anatomy is a good example here. Knowing which feather is "P3" on a variety of species cannot be put in the "essential" category. There is detail here that appears more appropriate for an ornithology book. Granted, this detail is presented very nicely: great illustrations and explanations. But essential?

Most birders in this country do not use the National Geographic Birding Field Guide. They use one of the other well-know guides: Sibley, Peterson, Audubon, or the Golden Guide. Yet, in this primer, other than noting that other guides exist, nothing was mentioned. At the very least, it would have been appropriate to have a table detailing characteristics of these various popular guides. They aren't even mentioned by name.

The section on binoculars was puzzling. I read Birding Essentials as a book more for beginners, and less for experienced birders (although I admit to learning a few things). Yet the authors really seemed to be promoting binoculars in the $1000 range. Why didn't they just use gold leaf on the cover? It is the rare beginning birder that shells out $1000 for a pair of binoculars. In fact, none of mine even approach the $200 point. Yet I've had great satisfaction watching the behavior of birds. One of the wonders of birding is that you don't need a SUV, particular clothes, a $1000 pair of binocs, and lessons. Birding truly is open to all.

With all this said, in general, I liked this book, and thought it a well-priced volume to give as a gift to my birding friends. It is inexpensive and well-done (you'll save some money for those binoculars). It summarizes a LOT of information, it maintains the tradition of National Geographic"s amazing photographs, and, if you don't have an ornithology text laying around, it has detail as well. It is not overly large. You won't carry it around all day, but you'll throw it in the car. I can see a trip leader carrying a copy around to help with explanations.

Enjoy your time outside.

It is a wonderful intro to birding as a hobby. Tips to buy binoculars and use a guidebook, bird topography, identification, molt, fieldcraft, migration, nomenclature, further reading, websites, everything a beginning birder is eager to know is included. Throughout the book, gorgeous, well-selected pictures(with pointers and extensive captions, often showing similar-looking birds side by side) are used to illustrate and expand the text, which is a major attraction. Also I particularly like the way Alderfer starts a topic with an overview of the basic then moves on to the more complex or challenging.
A great buy though I have Sibley's Birding Basics.

This is an instructive manual. Not a bird identification guide, it's a "how to", like "how to" decoupage your bread box. It starts out at square one, what to look for, and how to buy binoculars. You want to see the little critters, up close and personal. And goes on, step by step from there. How to use that lovely guide, where to find that startling bird, how to know it when you see it. And unlike the afore said "Idiot Guides", it's beautifully illustrated with photographs and diagramed photographs as you would expect from National Geographic. The information is intelligently presented in a logical manner. There's even a section on field sketching and encouragement for keeping not only lists, but descriptive writing about one's sightings. This is the "how to" for observing nature, can't recommend it highly enough.

Wonderful, informative, and easy to read! I haven't been bird watching for years & thought I would check it out again. This book was very helpful especially the section on binoculars.

The chapter on appropriate behaviors of bird watchers was great! These types of tips are needed before you join the Audubon Society and trek in the woods with experienced birders!

Great ref for anyone starting out or reviewing the basics.

A couple chapters were a bit too detailed (bird coloring for example) for my taste but I might go back to them once I get out into the field.

Worth the price and the photos (like all National Geographic publications) are spectacular!

I was never interested in learning the details of bird anatomy before, but just wanted to learn the main features that would help me tell them apart. But when I received this book as a gift, I found myself reading it cover to cover. I'm not a beginning birder, but my life list only has around 50 birds on it so far, so I doubt I'd even be called intermediate. Not only is this book interesting, but also it is very useful in helping me learn to identify birds more quickly, as well as how to better understand the language used in the various field guides. Its descriptions and illustrations are interesting and easy to understand for the layman, and detailed enough to give one an in-depth education, if (s)he wants it. And it's loaded with tips for telling apart specific hard to identify species. And every one of the many excellent photographs used as illustrations is accompanied by very detailed explanations, includuing name of bird and where and when the photo was taken. The book also has info about other aspects of birding - all the "essentials" that the title promises, and much more. I've read other books that promised to tell everything one needs to start birding, but I wish I had seen this one first: I think it would have helped me learn to identify birds more quickly. I bought several more to give as gifts.

Beginners new to birding who want a simple overview of identification techniques and observation plans will find BIRDING ESSENTIALS the perfect starting place. It offers both beginners and elementary-level birders the tools to better their observations, and pairs fine color photos of common birds with tips such as understanding variations in bird color, key identification factors, parts of a bird, and much more. General-interest collections will find it a popular lend.

THERE WERE EXCELLENT HINTS FOR BIRDWATCHING I FINALLY UNDERSTAND BINOCULARS AND SCOPES - AND WHAT IS THE BEST FOR VIEWING

I may be a bit bias because I like National Geographic, always have. I think it is well written and a good beginner's 'bird watching' book.

Good book for the novice. Provides definitions and explanations of basic equipment and other useful information. Found what I was looking for regarding binoculars and all related terminology.

The pictures and descriptions are outstanding. This book is a great start to learn about birds and how to identify them.

It's also a painless way to learn some basic bird biology.