Peterson Field Guide(R) to Eastern Birds: Fourth Edition (Peterson Field Guides) [Paperback]

Roger Tory Peterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1984 | Series: Peterson Field Guides

By popular demand, the revolutionary binding used on the 50th anniversary edition--the Flexibook--is back! This Flexi Peterson edition is the ultimate bird guide, inside and out, featuring birds east of the Rockies. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world's greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation, as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars, and the Peterson Field Guides® are credited with helping to set the stage for the environmental movement.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Veteran birders will know how to use this book. Beginners, however, should spend some time becoming familiar in a general way with the illustrations. They are not arranged in systematic or phylogenetic order as in most ornithological works but are grouped in 8 main visual categories:

(1) Swimmers — Ducks and ducklike birds (2) Aerialists — Gulls and gull-like birds (3) Long-legged Waders — Herons, cranes, etc.
(4) Smaller Waders — Plovers, sandpipers, etc.
(5) Fowl-like Birds — Grouse, quail, etc.
(6) Birds of Prey — Hawks, eagles, owls (7) Nonpasserine Land Birds (8) Passerine (Perching) Birds

Within these groupings it will be seen that ducks do not resemble loons; gulls are readily distinguishable from terns. The needlelike bills of warblers immediately differentiate them from the seed-cracking bills of sparrows. Birds that could be confused are grouped together when possible and are arranged in identical profile for direct comparison. The arrows point to outstanding “field marks” which are explained opposite.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 4 edition (April 17, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395361648
• ISBN-13: 978-0395361641
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,647,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world's greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your father's Peterson Guide, January 12, 2007

By 

Donald J. Frisz "Bird Learner" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Houghton-Mifflin 0-395-96371-0 Peterson Field Guide To Eastern Birds (Lawn & Patio)

I mistakenly thought that the large print version would be the same as my trusted old Peterson Guide, just in large print. Nope! The format is entirely different and greatly abbreviated. It's misleading to title this text the same as the original. This may be a nice guide for a novice bird watcher for bird feeder identification. I gave my copy away to a shut-in with minimal bird identifying experience.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite bird book, July 10, 2009

By 

C. G. King (Horse Country, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Houghton-Mifflin 0-395-96371-0 Peterson Field Guide To Eastern Birds (Lawn & Patio)

Comparisons of similar species and views of both sexes and juveniles make this book my first pick to identify a new bird. The drawings, complete with arrows pointing to defining features, speed identification. Although it is large print, which is easy on the eyes, there is really not all that much text. The book is mostly colored drawings showing several birds to a page with their expected location maps and a few key facts. Both sexes and young are shown if they are different and I love the arrows which draw your attention quickly to things that make this species unique from another. Special comparison pages show all the similar warblers together, for example, and highlight the differences.

The advantage of really good drawings over photographs is that individual birds can differ so you may not see a match as easily. Species may change color as they grow, or with the season, they can look very different when fluffed out than otherwise. Photos don't often catch good views in flight and lighting may affect the color you see or don't see. Drawings can overcome all those issues and give you a good representation from different angles, etc. I love good photographs, but find the drawings help me more often in early identifications.

While this book is larger than I want to carry in the field, it has so much useful information packed into it with surprisingly few words, it is the first I reach for at home. For example, it allowed me to successfully identify the young Eastern Towhee that recently turned up under my feeders. This baby's coloring is nothing like its parents and none of the other books or software showed or described it.

While I turn to other sources for in-depth information about a bird, first I have to know what kind it is. Some are easy to identify and other books work fine, especially if it's a common bird. But since this book includes so many types, great drawings, comparisons and arrows pointing out what specifically to look for, it's the best first place to look. Highly recommended identification resource.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Bird, Large Format Edition, July 26, 2007

By 

Sam Davis "Sam" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Houghton-Mifflin 0-395-96371-0 Peterson Field Guide To Eastern Birds (Lawn & Patio)

This easy on the eyes large format edition is a great book for all ages and levels of bird watching. The soft cover makes it light to handle or take with you in the field. The large format makes identifying birds much easier and quicker. Well layed out and practical.