Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of the Mid-Atlantic (Smithsonian Handbooks) [Paperback]

Fred J. Alsop (Author), III, Fred J. Alsop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Series: Smithsonian Handbooks

The most comprehensive series of field guides to North American birds ever. This impressive collection highlights birds from all regions of the United States including localized areas such as the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest and New England. Whether birding in the foothills of New England, the prairies of the Midwest, or the beaches of Florida, Smithsonian Handbooks are the most comprehensive field guides to North American birds on the market. Looking for the Great Blue Heron or the Piping Plover while visiting the Great Lakes? Desperate to find the rare Long Billed Curlew or the Marbled Godwit during a hike in the Cascade Mountains? There's no need to look any further! Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, these amazing guides are an absolute staple for any birder or amateur ornithologist. Each local species receives its own profile, along with descriptions of habitats and annotated photographs that highlight specific characteristics and other points of interest. Take bird watching to new heights!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The Smithsonian Institution is a center for research dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dorling Kindersley (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789484285
• ISBN-13: 978-0789484284
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,511,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor field guide for the beginner, July 19, 2008

By 

Paleobirder (State College, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of the Mid-Atlantic (Smithsonian Handbooks) (Paperback)

I'm an avid birder with almost 20 years of experience in the field (mostly in the mid-Atlantic region), and I enjoy looking through various field guides (lots have been published since I began birding).

The one good feature about this book is that it contains a lot more text information than other guides: details on behavior, nesting, and population status. But both the photographs and selection of birds for the mid-Atlantic region were quite bad.

The photos are in the style later improved by Kenn Kauffman in his Focus Guide series, with images of birds removed from their background. But the images are often in poor lighting and in odd poses that would be misleading to anyone trying to identify a bird in the field. The Great Egret, an all white bird, is shown in flight in shadow so that the wings appear dark gray.

For a book covering the birds of the mid-Atlantic, they have included some species rarely seen in the area while relegating some seen more frequently to an appendix of rare and accidental birds. The Wilson's Phalarope, often seen in migration in the region, is listed as casual while the rarer Red and Red-necked Phalarope are given full space in the book.

The guide is misleading for beginners and more seasoned birders can find better guides to further improve their identification skills.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book while checking out the birdfeeder, November 15, 2008

By 

MCTD1966 (sylva, north carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of the Mid-Atlantic (Smithsonian Handbooks) (Paperback)

Have enjoyed looking up the birds that land on my birdfeeder! The book is easy to use and I have been able to look up almost every bird that I have in my yard.