"...I would recommend it as a supplement to other speciality raptor guides. ...I highly recommend this useful guide..."
-Keith L. Bildstein in THE AUK (2001)
"No one is better at the variabilities of raptor identification than this team of two... The excellent photographs are clear and well chosen... If you take your hawk-watching seriously, buy it."
--Charles E. Keller in INDIANA AUDUBON QUARTERLY
"The 377 colour photographs are without exception truly stunning...The plates are conveniently placed next to the relevant species account and show all plumage, both in flight and perched... The authors are to be applauded for their expertise, while not forgetting the problems of the beginner, making this book ideal for both the novice and the profession: there is something new for everyone."
--Neil Hayward in IBIS
"As a hawk watcher of long standing, I have eagerly awaited this utilitarian partner to Clark and Wheelers
Hawks. First, because as a reference tool, it will be invaluable to serious hawk watchers. The information it contains is age class and subspecies specific; the format is straight forward; and the material is easily referenced... This new guide, with its employment of photos and integrated concern for the problems presented by lookalike species, will also serve the novice, saving them much time, effort, embarrassment, and...Frustration!
On a global scale, there are few living human beings who know more about birds of prey than William S. Clark and none, to my mind, who know more about their identification. On the more focused subject of North America's diurnal raptors, he has few peers--but one of them is Brian K. Wheeler, whose photos dominate this book...There are many nature photographers who specialize in capturing birds of prey on film. Few are as good as Brian and some say none."
--PETE DUNN, Director, Natural History Information, New Jersey Audubon Society
"Are you having difficulty unraveling the mysteries of identifying birds of prey? If you are baffled by seemingly similar silhouettes of birds of prey, not to mention plumage variations, then
A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by Brian Wheeler and William S. Clark is the perfect field guide for you. With this guide in hand, you will be ahead of other birders at hawkwatching hotspots."
--WILDBIRD
"I recommend that you buy two copies, one for home and one for your vehicle."
--CANADIAN FIELD NATURALIST
"This book will change your mind about the importance of photographic guides. You will want to use this guide. Here you are treated to stunning photographs that depicts all the field marks that are mentioned in an informative text... This is one outstanding effort and it is a genuine pleasure to look through this book.
Brian Wheeler and Bill Clark are the continent's leading authorities on the field identification of diurnal birds of prey. As such, any work that they produce should be taken seriously. They have consistently produced identification publications that have changed the entire hawkwatching world in a significant and positive manner. This field guide is no exception. It offers a novel approach to the identification of hawks in a wonderfully pleasurable environment. Bravo!"
--HMANA MIGRATION STUDIES
"For the raptor enthusiast or North American birder, this is an essential purchase... The authors and publishers have done their work well.
--Paul Doherty, in BIRDING WORLD
"The authors have done raptor aficionados a great service by greatly reducing the problems associated with this often difficult-to-identify group of birds."
--Peter H. Bloom, Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Camarillo, California, in JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH
"This excellent book is a must-buy for anyone interested in improving their raptor ID skills. I believe it is well worth the price for the high-quality photos alone, but careful review of the test also reveals a wealth of state-of-the-art raptor ID tips that have been field tested by the authors."
--Ned Harris in BIRDING
"Never have I seen a photograph better capture the essence of a birds appearance in flight than the wonderful color photograph of a rough-legged hawk gracing the cover of
A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors, by Brian K. Wheeler and William S. Clark... This book, published by Academic Press, is filled with such images of birds of prey. The pictures are carefully picked, not just for the aesthetic quality that is virtually inevitable for any good photographs of raptors, but to greatly assist birders in the identification of this sometimes bewildering array of birds. Its a great gift for naturalists."
--Barry Kent Mackay in THE TORONTO STAR
Whether soaring or perched, diurnal birds of prey are difficult to identify. They vary in plumage, according to age, race, color morph, or even individual differences. This, along with the difficulties of field conditions - fleeting glimpses, poor light and extreme range - have combined to make correct, positive field ID the realm of the expert birder.
But now help is at hand for the average birder. Field marks do not exist that are definitive for all raptor species, despite plumage variability. Moreover, these marks can be seen quickly under most viewing conditions. In this book two of North America's most experienced raptor identification experts provide the essential guide to these field marks, as well as, showing the range of plumage variation.
Brian Wheeler and Bill Clark have been observing, studying, and photographing raptors for many years and have taught thousands of birds to improve their ID skills through book and magazine publications, lectures, and field seminars. Here are 377 color photographs; each is stunning and each has an explanatory caption.
