Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of North America: Western Region [Turtleback]

Fred J. Alsop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2001

Published in association with America's preeminent authority, the Smithsonian Institution, this comprehensive handbook to the birds of North America: Western Region includes 696 species -- all birds known to breed east of the 100th meridian on the United States and Canada, as well as regular visitors and vagrants to this region. The Smithsonian Handbook is the first identification guide that includes details of the bird's life history in a concise and user-friendly format. Each full-page profile combines a precise description, annotated photographs, and artworks to highlight the key field marks of the species in each plumage. Similar species are shown and distinguishing characteristics are noted. Further information on the bird's habits describes the typical song and other vocalizations, behavior, breeding, nesting, population, and conservation concerns. Typical flight patterns and nest locations and shapes are described with clear icons, and amplified in the text. Each bird's range during summer, winter, and on migration is clearly shown on a map.

Editorial Reviews

Review

By partnering with the Smithsonian Institution and by using the popular photographically-rich design of the DK Handbook series, the books [Smithsonian Handbooks of Birds of North America (Eastern Region and Western Region)] promise to catch the attention of veteran and novice birders. With 750-plus pages per handbook, each species receives it's own full-page profile, including a concise overview and color photos. The books also cover songs, behavior, breeding, population and conservation issues. (Birder's World, June 2001)

About the Author

Frederick Joseph Alsop, III Ph.D. is an ornithologist and a professor of biological sciences at East Tennessee State University. He received his doctorate in zoology from the University of Tennessee, and specialized in the ecology, distribution, life history, and taxonomy of birds. In addition to studying the effects of pesticides on eggshell thickness and endangered and threatened species, Fred Alsop is an avid field biologist and birder, and photographer, and has identified more than 3,200 species worldwide. The Smithsonian Institution -- the world's largest museum complex -- includes 16 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park. The total number of artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian's collections is estimated at nearly 142 million. The bulk of this material -- more than 124 million specimens and artifacts -- is part of the National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian collections serve as the intellectual base for exhibition, education, scholarship, and discovery. The National Zoo was founded in 1889 by an act of Congress for, "the advancement of science, the instruction and recreation of the people." It is a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and conducts programs in public education, wildlife conservation and works to advance a number of fields in the biological sciences. Approximately 3,600 animals of 475 different species live at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. About one-quarter of the animals are endangered, and many are part of conservation efforts to preserve disappearing species.

Product Details

• Turtleback: 752 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (April 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789471574
• ISBN-13: 978-0789471574
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Apparently still a secret, July 10, 2001

By 

R. Lee Wagner (San Diego, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of North America: Western Region (Turtleback)

As a 40+ year novice birdwatcher, and incurable lover of books, I have acquired numerous field guides over the years. Raised on Peterson, in recent years I have enjoyed the Audubon guides by Farrand. Looking for something newer, I was assured that "The Sibley Guide to Birds" was now the king of the hill. Next to Sibley on my dealer's bookshelf was this Alsop. I already knew the publisher-Dorling Kindersley. They have perfected the art of visual teaching. This same teaching technique works very well for a nature field guide. There is a single page devoted to each species. The page is well laid out but packed with the information you want. The illustrations are superb-better than the Sibley. This book is a masterpiece, and I think will become a well-loved legend. It far surpasses Sibley, Peterson, and other field guides at this general, comprehensive level. Despite its breadth, it would be perfect for a beginning birdwatcher of any age. It must be new-I can't find it reviewed anywhere!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not really a field guide, not really a natural history guide, March 1, 2002

By 

Douglas A. Greenberg (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of North America: Western Region (Turtleback)

Once upon a time, people who wished to identify and learn about birds found few books from which to choose. Today, however, there are many, and the competition between them for birders' purchasing dollars is keen. I tend to buy just about any book that bills itself as a "guide to the birds of North America," however, so I recently picked up Fred J. Alsop III's new Smithsonian Handbook. There is much to appreciate and enjoy here, and I can recommend the book as a welcome supplement to anyone's basic bird guide collection (especially people living the western states). However, by itself it is adequate neither as a guide to bird identification nor as a supplemental source of information about bird habits and natural history.

This book is long (752 pages) and definitely hefty. No one but a true masochist would consider carrying it into the field. Consequently, in terms of helping with bird identification, this guide at best can serve as a supplement to other current field guides. In this capacity, the book will indeed be useful with respect to many birds. Each full-page treatment of a species includes lots of useful information, including key field marks, range, vocalizations, distinctive behavioral habits, nesting habits, and even flight patterns.

The key to whether or not this works for particular types of birds lies in Alsop's approach to bird illustration. Here, he relies mainly upon high-quality photographs. For most birds, particularly songbirds, this works adequately. However, as is just about always the case with bird guides illustrated with photos, the results are uneven. Some of the photos are spectacular, but a few are so-so. What's more important, however, is that Alsop's reliance upon a single large photo for each bird precludes adequate illustration of species for which inclusion of more than one picture is essential. This mainly includes species for which flight patterns are important, including gulls, terns, pelagics, hawks, shorebirds, waterfowl, swifts and swallows, and nightjars. This adds up to a lot of species.

Traditional field guides also provide additional illustrations to show immature or fall plumages. Alsop does try to include additional illustrations for some of these plumages, but these extra drawings mostly are so tiny as to be virtually useless. For some species, at least, he would have done better to limit some of the verbal information to accommodate more space for these additional illustrations.

One of the strengths of the book is Alsop's obvious commitment to providing the reader with information pertaining to each bird's behavior, nesting habits, and population/conservation. Because the author is combining this effort with identification material, however, the book doesn't measure up to certain others in terms of being a complete "natural history guide."

To his credit, Alsop includes some extra materials that are welcome and well-done. There is a section on extinct species (including the Ivory-billed woodpecker, which apparently may not be extinct after all), and also some "how to's" on birding as a pastime.

Overall, however, I can recommend this book mainly to people who really enjoy owning lots of bird books. A good strategy for birders generally is to purchase one (or more) good field guides for identification purposes, and then to supplement these with another good book that provides natural historical information. This volume certainly has its uses and contains lots of excellent information, but in trying to be both identification guide and natural history guide, it doesn't truly succeed in either function.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true all inclusive guide..., September 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of North America: Western Region (Turtleback)

This is a wonderful book; each page has a single bird on it with all related information to the bird i.e. migrations (map showing in color what time of year the bird is found where), feeders, identifacation with clear pictures, song of the bird, behavior, breeding, nesting, population, conservation, size, wingspan, family, species, nest identification tips and chart, and habitat locations. In my opinion this book would be classified as a "must have" for a lover of birds and especially for a novice just getting into birds it is a excellent identification tool.