Customer Reviews

Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide

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4 star:		(1)
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In the winter time here in Virginia we get a number of differnt types of sparrows that migrate in. I love watching them but was having difficulty determining which types were which from just the regular field guides so I asked around and one of our local birders recommended this to me. Its terrific! The pictures of the birds are close-up - as if you were holding the bird or were sitting on the ground less than a foot away looking at the bird. This really helps when trying to distinguish the slight differences in colors or patterns. Each species has a chapter that strats out with measurements (size, weight etc) then there's a range map, and some text on habitat, then some text on behavior and voice/songs. There's writing about similar species, geographic variation, distribution (winter, breeding, migration periods), conservation status, and molt. There's also text descriptions for specific markings etc to hone in on, and discussion of hybrids if any. Then the chapter has pictures, of boys, girls, adults, juveniles, etc. Really a great book that has helped me a lot. I'd buy it again in a heart beat.

This book is great for those having difficulty identifing sparrows or LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs). It has many actual pictures of each sparrows which shows the different variations from region to region, young to old, and from season to season.

In the early pages, the author thoroughly discusses the various sparrow genera, and mentions how the genera are distinct from each other - remarkably helpful for learning sparrow identification! Throughout the book there are TONS! of photos of sparrows in various plumages. The species accounts are thorough and well written, and include sections on similar species, amongst many other sections. Might these authors do such books for all of the major bird groups?!?!

This edition has a lot of text in it, so it's not really geared towards field use. Yet, the pictures provided are really good. However, for an in-depth study of sparrows, it's an excellent source. Definitely recommended.

Sparrows can and are difficult to identify at times, in particular if you live within the area of major migrations. This difficulty comes from the fact that there is a large difference, at times, between male, female, juveniles, molting stages, variations in plumage and even at times, confusion over calls and behavior. Add to this the fact that, for the most part, all these wonderful little winged creatures are about the same size and shape, and you have real problems.

I do not use this particular book as a field guide, i.e. one that I carry in my kit bag when I am in the bush. I have quite a number of other guides and no end to the pure junk I have stuck here and there. I have had to simply draw the line somewhere, our buy a mule to help me haul the stuff around. I use this book as a study reference to which I can compare my field notes, photographs and memory. The photographs in this one are not a numerous as in some other like volumes, and as has been pointed out, thee is quite a lot of test. This is the strong point of the book though. By specializing, the author has been able to give exact data on habitat, habits, feeding patterns, migration patterns and obscure little facts that are most helpful. I love the way the slight plumage variations have been addressed and noted. This can make all the difference in the world when fretting over a difficult to identify species.

The photograph quality is excellent and this volume does contain some of the clearest close up view of birds of any of the many books I do own. Sparrows and warblers have always been my bane, and I do appreciate this work as it has made my life and major hobby much easier and more enjoyable.

Recommend this one highly.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

As part of a state wildlife agency effort to band migratory birds, we sometimes encounter fall sparrows that are difficult to identify. Most field guides show limited views of fall adult or juvenile sparrows. This guide includes many photos for each species and for different parts of the country. The text is also very useful in pointing out subtle characteristics. I'd recommend it to anyone who is trying to hone their identification of "little brown birds." We've found it quite useful for our needs.

The book provides the best coverage of sparrows I have ever seen. The photographs are sharp, clear and have excellent color rendition. Many birding books are great disappointments because of the difficulty in following color photographic plates to other indexed pages for the scientific descriptions. Here, the photographs and narrative are arranged in adjacent proximity for ease of use. The authors of this book have obviously taken great care in compiling photographs which reveal the discrete differences in markings, size and color.
The cover of this book is tough and resilient. It will work well for field work.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have an aid for differentiating sparrows of the United States and Canada.
"Bruce"---Olathe, KS

An EXCELLENT book. More details that you can possibly imagine, but the photographs are the real prize. Gives the average birder a fighting chance of identifying those LBJs. Outstanding !