Customer Reviews

Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first sentence of the introduction to this book says "This is a book about shorebird identification", and I believe it succeeds admirably in that goal. The two strongest points about the book are that it contains every species that has ever been recorded in North America (94 of them), and the 534 pictures are of very high quality. Distinctive species may have only a few pictures, while difficult or variable species have many more (up to a dozen or so). Although sometimes on the brief side, I did not find the sections on behavior and habitat to be lacking to the point of being drawbacks. And at a price of just over $20, this is a good value for a photographic guide.

A few points about range maps, which are not included in this guide:

1) The author points out that they are not included "in part so all the space can be used for photos and text but also because all current field guides have largely accurate range maps that can be used in conjunction with this book." I believe this is a fair trade-off. The book, at 350+ pages, is already a bit hefty for a field guide and range maps, although they would have been nice, would have made it larger and more expensive.

2) Nearly one-third of the birds covered by this book are so uncommon in North America that range maps don't really apply. Of the remaining two-thirds, many have North American range maps which in Sibley's are largely white except for the far north, and have varying numbers of little green dots elsewhere. Thus, many of the range maps, had they been included, would have conveyed minimal information.

3) Many shorebirds migrate very long distances and have a tendency to wander widely, thus making range maps less useful than they are for other species, like sparrows. When you think you may have a Little Stint in with that flock of Western Sandpipers you are observing, what you need are more pictures and identification pointers, not range maps.

So if you already have a general field guide like Sibley's and are looking for something extra to help you identify North American shorebirds, this book fills that bill nicely at a modest price.

This is a beautiful book on shorebird identification. I've found this guide to be an essential addition to my bookshelf, primarily due to the quality and variety of photographs. For many of the included species, the wide selection of photographs show birds in flight as well as average plumage differences between breeding adults, non-breeding adults, and juveniles, allowing for the careful study of differences within species as well as between species. I also found the identification tips to be very valuable, as the discussion includes useful comparisons between similar species for birds both on the ground and in flight. The discussions of habitat and behavior are not extensive but provide sufficient detail, and the voice descriptions are very helpful.

The lack of range maps is well-balanced by a short discussion on range for each species, and may even be a blessing. A single glance at range maps can be misleading, as there can be wide variations in the timing of when individual shorebirds of some species may depart from or arrive on their wintering grounds. For example, the range maps in both the Sibley's guides and the National Audubon Society field guides show that Ruddy Turnstones should only be found in the Carolinas during the "winter" season - I've watched Ruddy Turnstones in full breeding plumage foraging on South Carolina beaches in early August, presumably early migrants who have already completed their nesting season and haven't yet begun molting into their non-breeding plumage. Another perfect example is the normal range of Northern Lapwing, an occasional Eurasian visitor to North America, whose rare visits have included Maine, New York, Maryland, and Florida.

This photographic guide to shorebirds is a lovely reference to accompany basic field guides, provides an excellent overview of what you might see in the field, and is a valuable resource for those who are passionate about shorebirds.

Shorebirds of North America is a keeper! Absolutely stunning pictures showing virtually every bird in flight as well as on the ground in a multitude of plumages. The interesting, informative, well written descriptions make this a better arm-chair book, than field book.

That said, however, it's certainly small enough to be carried afield; it's smaller than Sibley's Guide and ruggedly constructed. The bird pictures are exceptional and elaborate showing many molt stages and picularities. As a visual person, I find this not simply helpful for me, but absolutely necessary for shorebirds. The descriptions Paulson uses for identification are practical, comparative, clear and easy to understand. There is much discussion of plumages, voice and distinctive characteristics both in flight and on the ground.

I loved the table of estimated populations of these birds. It answered my question about the Snowy Plover in Washington state and why eveyone seemed so concerned. Paulson estimates their population at 15, 700.

He has a well illustrated section on anatomy that provides a guide for terms used in the book such as mantle line, upper and lower scapular line, primary projection and more. There's sound information on individual variation from feather wear and fade, unusual plumages, hybridization, and molts.

The only disappointment for me was the quick list of species on the inside cover. It's done numerically and I would have liked the listing alphabetical for speedy look-up. I think it's faster to go to the table of contents where the species are broken down by type - plovers, sandpipers, curlews, etc.

As I said of another book recently reviewed, this one should have a higher rating than shown, like 43/4 stars, but that choice is not available.
I bought it as a companion book to Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds and I am not disappointed with the pair, they compliment (and supplement) each other. In short, this book with the information it contains is 'worth the money'.

Like all field guides for birds and I do consider this a field guide due to its size, completeness and wonderful photographs, you need to include a couple of other guides to act as supplements. What will work for one birder, may not work for another and the more ammunition you have in your rucksack, the better when in the field. I have to classify this particular guide as one of the best. It does cover all 94 species that have ever been spotted in North America and does cover different plumage, maturity and sexual identification marks. It gives a very nice description of habitat which is extremely helpful.

As has been pointed out; this work does not include distribution maps. As far as I am concerned, and in my opinion, for what that is worth, this is a plus! Shore birds are a tricky lot. I truly feel that they gather at the beginning of each year in some secret place and discuss just how they plan to mess with the minds of birders this year. After that, they send a few of their better flyers to various spots in North American where they have absolutely no business being. This can and will drive the average birder out of their minds and has been the source of many heated arguments among birders. I have found that with shorebirds, that it is best to take nothing for granted and expect the unexpected.

Now, there is the problem of just what a shore bird is. Shore birds ARE NOT ducks, geese, herons, loons and the like. In general, shore birds are little brown critters that all look quite alike and are insanely difficult to identify at times. If you want ducks and geese, go elsewhere.

The photographs in this work are of the highest quality, clear, concise and extremely accurate. As I said, if you use this work, along with others to act as supplements, your life will become much easier. This is particularly true when you consider some of the modern optical equipment we have available today.

This is a great one to add to your collection, either if like me you concentrate on marshland, or if you are lucky enough to live near the coast, so much the better.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

The book covers 94 species of shorebirds for North America including familiar species and rarities.
The wide selection of photos show birds in flight as well as average plumage differences between breeding adults, non-breeding adults and juveniles. For each species, you get information on size, plumage, identification, behavior, voice, habitat and range.
This is a great addition to any birders' library or useful for anyone living near the shore.

I agree with many of the comments above. This is just a wonderful book and, as I live in an area with many species of wintering shorebirds, it goes with me everywhere I go. The identification summaries are succinct and well written. The book is also just plain tough - it has been dog-eared and jammed in my backpack in awkward positions and even been rained on a couple of times, and it's still in great shape. I highly recommend this book! Even better, buy it along with the Karlson, O'Brien and Crossley book and you're all set! :)

I was waiting for this book to come out for a while and I got one of the first copies that came out. I am hugely disapointed. Ofcourse, the pictures are great and there are large paragraphs on physical description and plumage, but unbelievably, there are no range maps and the descriptions of habits, behavior and migration patterns are almost like footnotes after a page long dictionary like description of plumage. I compare this book to the similar princeton guide to north american sparrows, which has incredible descriptions of behavior and great rangemaps, and I call this book a massive disapointment. So if you want a page long summary of physical description, buy this book, otherwise save your money.

This has proven to be a very useful field guide to the wading birds on the New England shore for someone like me, serious enough to want a good guide and occassional enough in my birding to need a lot of guidance. The pictures cover breeding and winter plumages, adult and juvenile, but since different species can look so much alike its description of behaviors has been most useful. I am ordering one for a present since I have found my own to be so useful.

The best field guide for shorebirds that I have seen. Great photos, well organized. I refer to it often!

I was thinking this book would cover everything that you would typically find near salt water and marshes, like Herons, Ducks, Widgeons, Loons, Geese, Gulls, etc. It only covers a very narrow range of sandpiper, plover and stints.

However, if that is what you want, this appears to be a very nice book with a heavy-duty cover.