National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition (Paperback)

~ Jon L. Dunn (Author), Jonathan Alderfer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Birding is the fastest growing wildlife-related activity in the U.S., and even conservative estimates put the current number of U.S. birders at 50 million. According to the New York Times, some authorities predict that by 2050 there will be more than 100 million—and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America will be the essential reference for field identification and the cornerstone of any birder's library. This is the ultimate, indispensable bird field guide—comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy, and easier than ever to use.

Among the the new edition's key elements and practical improvements: Every North American species—more than 960, including a new section on accidental birds—classified according to the latest official American Ornithologists' Union checklist 4,000 full-color illustrations by the foremost bird artists at work todayand newly updated range maps that draw on the latest data New durable cover for added protection against adverse weather, plus informative quick-reference flaps that double as placemarkers New reader-friendly features like thumbtabs that make locating key sections faster and easier, and a quick-find index to direct users straight to the information they need.

About the Author

Jon L. Dunn, a leading expert on the identification and distribution of North American birds, has served as chief consultant on all four previous editions of this book. He is also a consultant for the American Birding Association magazine, Birding, and the former chair of the ABA Checklist Committee, as well as a member of the California Bird Records Committee and the AOU Committee on Taxonomy and Nomenclature. He lives in Bishop, California.

Jonathan Alderfer, chief consultant for National Geographic's Birding Program, is a widely published author and field guide illustrator. One of the nation's foremost birding artists, he is well known for his expertise as a field ornithologist and an authority on North American birds. He was a general consultant, art consultant, and contributing artist for the NG Field Guide to the Birds of North America 3rd and 4th editions, and the lead editor of NG's Complete Birds of North America. A former Associate Editor of Birding, the ABA magazine, he also served on the Maryland/D.C. Bird Records Committee. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; 5 edition (November 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792253140
• ISBN-13: 978-0792253143
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,490 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

177 of 179 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of a Fine Set of Choices, March 14, 2007

By	James D. DeWitt "Alaska Fan" (Fairbanks, AK United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

For birders, there's never been a better time to find a field guide. Sibley and Kauffman have both published very good guides in the last few years, serious competition for the venerable National Geographic guide. National Geographic has responded with this, the 5th Edition, which has almost all of the new names, new splits and new species. How to decide among the competitors for the guide to take into the field?

First, you can't go wrong with any of the three. They are all very good, although each brings different strengths and weaknesses.

Second, if you bird with a companion, carry different guides: one of you take National Geographic and one of you take Sibley or Kauffman.

Third, measure your skill level against the assumptions of the various guides. If you are a novice, then Kauffman might be your best choice. If you are a beginner who has a bit of experience, then National Geo may be your best choice. If you are an advanced beginner or better, then perhaps Sibley.

But as an overall choice, with decent art (although not as good or as consistent as Sibley), decent identification highlights (although not quite as good as Kauffman), quite good behavior cues, absolutely excellent treatment of vagrant birds (especially Asian vagrants), pretty accurate range maps and highly readable text, National Geographic emerges as the most versatile of the three.

If you can, get all three. If you can't get all three, this is probably, by the thinnest of margins, the best choice.

Caution: this edition uses the new taxonomic order adopted by the American Ornithologists Union, putting bird families in significantly different order. It takes a while to get used to where things are.

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but some disappointments..., November 29, 2006

By	B. Taylor - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this 5th edition NG guide so I would have all the up-to-date species names and splits. This guide incorporates changes made in the most recent (2006) 47th Supplement to The A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, Seventh Edition.

This version is slightly larger than my old 3rd edition guide. Same height and depth, but pages are about 3/8" wider which allows for slightly larger range maps. Some may find this new version is a bit too large to be considered a "field" guide. The upside though is much larger pictures of the birds than those tiny ones found in other popular field guides, such as the much smaller sized Sibley's Eastern or Western N.A. guides.

Compared to my 3rd edition NG guide the colors are not as rich and vivid, but generally the illustrations of each species are still quite good. Some of the pictures have been redone by different artists from those in the 3rd edition. I found a couple improvements, but unfortunately there are also a few which are simply dreadful in comparison. For example see the Horned Grebe page. Oh well, no field guide gets them ALL right.

The new inset tabs really work well. There are just enough to help you zero in on key sections of the guide - any more would have just got in the way. The front and back covers have a fold out flap which I've found is handy for bookmarking a page in the guide. The quickfind index on the back flap is fantastic! No more flipping through the index pages trying to find where they've put the Meadowlarks. On the inside of the front cover there are several "bird topography" drawings which show the terms used in identifying various feathers and markings on birds. This is much improved over the few drawings in the 3rd edition, that were also harder to find.

There is an extra section at the back of the guide on Accidentals and Extinctions - probably not something I will use, but an interesting addition.

The species illustrations are generally well done and include comparisons of male/female/juvenile and summer/winter plumages. Also some extra pages such as ducks, hawks, gulls, and sandpipers in flight. Description of each species includes many helpful clues for identification, such as tail-flicking habit, prefers spruce bog, song is insectlike buzz. The range maps are large enough to be useful. A beginning birder might find a smaller regional guide or a backyard birds guide easier to start with, but would soon wish they had this one. In conclusion, a good choice for anyone interested in birds and birding.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Field Guide - Sibley's now has competition, October 14, 2007

By	A. Khosla "houziwang" (Los Altos, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been using Sibley's Field Guide for the last three years, and my Western Sibley's is very well worn. But now, the field guide I refer to is the National Geographic. The new fifth edition is great. Rather than just list field marks, it offers tips on distinguishing similar species. The art is all new, and IMHO, very close to actual (compared to previous editions which were...schematic...[that's putting it kindly]).

Additionally, the submerged tabs are very handy, and they've picked up on putting the map in the back, like Sibleys.

My only complaints are that it's not a harder cover, and that I'd like it more narrow and tall, rather than wide and short. Nits. It's a fabulous field guide.