Customer Reviews

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Arizona & New Mexico

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Be aware that this is not a comprehensive guide to every bird you'd find in AZ and NM. However, if you want most of them, this is a handy, pocket-sized guide (4x6 inches) with nice photos. The layout provides two facing pages per species -- a photo on the left and description/text on the right. Every text page has a color-coded map showing EXACTLY where the bird is found and in what season. Many pages also have a small inset photo (at the bottom of the page) of a similar-looking bird, with a short note about it.

On a recent trip to Arizona I got this guide because the National Geographic guide to birds of North America is so good and thought the excellence would carry through the line. This might be a good supplemental guide if you have another reference and want something small to carry in your car but of the first three species I tried to identify two weren't included here. I ended up getting the Kaufman Guide to Birds of North America because I didn't own a copy and it had the birds I was trying to identify.

There are some pretty photographs but few variations are illustrated and it just isn't complete enough for me.

BASICS: softcover, 2006, 272pp; compact guide shows 173 (30%) of the more common birds found in AZ/NM; 125 species each shown with a single good color photo and another 68 species with a single tiny color drawing; basic field marks given for each bird and, for those with photos, brief notes provided on behavior, voice, habitat, and general regions to be found; 124 birds are given a range map

This guide will appeal to the more casual or novice birder. It will also be useful to those people who take a fascination with the common local birds visiting their feeders or, birds that may be seen during a walk through a park or at a convenient recreation area just outside of town. I'd recommend giving this book to a beginning birder to encourage his/her interest without overwhelming or intimidating them with the hundreds of species (and thousands of plumages) that exist. Start them easy with this simplified but attractive guide.

As another book in a series of National Geographic mini-guides, this little book shows 173 (30%) of the more common birds found in the two states of Arizona and New Mexico. For 125 of these birds, each is shown with a single, good quality color photograph that takes up nearly a full page. These photos show just the adult male. The other 68 species might be deemed as "token" inclusions since they are tiny (2-3cm) color drawings tucked in the lower corner of the page.

For each photographed bird, general or basic material is provided that covers field marks, behavior, voice, habitat, and generalized regions of the states where the bird is typically found. The field marks are relatively simple short comments aimed at providing a minimal description to the novice birder. Each of these birds is also accompanied by a range map of AZ and NM. Four different colors in the map represent breeding, winter, migration, and year-round.

Regarding the 68 tiny birds painted in the corner, the briefest of notes is provided to draw attention to their similarity to the adjacent photographed bird. These notes provide a few descriptive comments along with maybe a note or two on their habitat and range.

Consider this compact book to be a beginner's guide that will serve as a nice "first book" for the newly indoctrinated birder. For the more experienced or even semi-serious birder, the limited scope of this book will be disappointing. A better alternative photo guide which is complete in species is "Birds of Southeastern Arizona" by Taylor. It shows all but a few of the region's birds along with most of the relevant plumages. It's not a perfect field guide but it is a great practice tool for birders planning a trip to Arizona. - (written by Jack at Avian Review / Avian Books, September 2010)

I've listed several related books below...

1) Birds of Southeastern Arizona by Taylor

2) Birds of Arizona by Tekiela

3) A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona by Taylor

4) Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona, 7th Ed. by Tucson Audubon Society

5) The "Birds-Eye" Guide to 101 Birding Sites by Rupp

6) The Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas by Corman/Wise-Gervais

7) The Birds of Arizona by Phillips

8) The Raptors of Arizona by Glinski

9) The Birds of Sonora by Russell/Monson

For a field guide, this wasn't worth it. Poorly indexed, virtually no information in the book. It will be okay for coffee table, but wish I hadn't bought it.

We booked a birding tour in Arizona/New Mexico last spring. The book was great in the field, very easy to use.