Birds of North America, Revised and Updated: A Guide To Field Identification (Golden Field Guide from St. Martin's Press) (Paperback)

by Chandler S. Robbins (Author), Bertel Bruun (Author), Herbert S. Zim (Author), Arthur Singer (Illustrator) "For decades this Golden Guide has introduced millions of people to the birds of North America..." (more)
Key Phrases: broad white eye stripe, spring vagrant, narrow eye ring, North America, Old World, Herring Gull (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Spot the silhouette of a Northern Goshawk in flight. Identify the raucous call of the Red-winged Blackbird. Discover the secret of picking out a Chipping Sparrow from its look-alike cousins. It's simple with this classic field guide, a treasured favorite among amateur bird lovers and exacting professionals. Recognized as the authority on bird identification, this invaluable resource provides:

-All of North America in one volume
-Over 800 species and 600 range maps
-Arthur Singer's famous illustrations featuring male, female, and juvenile plumage
-Sonograms that picture sound for easy song recognition
-Migration routes, feeding habits, and characteristic flight patterns
-American ornithologists' classifications
-Convenient check boxes to record birds you have identified
-Color tabs for quick references


About the Author
Golden Guides first appeared in 1949 and quickly established themselves as authorities on subjects from Natural History to Science. Relaunched in 2000, Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press feature modern, new covers as part of a multi-year, million-dollar program to revise, update, and expand the complete line of guides for a new generation of students.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press; Rev Upd edition (April 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582380902
• ISBN-13: 978-1582380902
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,982 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Birdwatching > Birds
  #3 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Field Guides
  #49 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Fauna

• This is item 4 in The Golden Guide Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A classic updated, but on the cheap, April 16, 2001

By	Douglas A. Greenberg (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press) (Hardcover)

The Golden field guide, *Birds of North America* has been a favorite companion for countless birders since it was first published in the late 1960's. It has the virtues of being nationally comprehensive, easy to follow (illustrations, maps, songs, and descriptions are provided on the same two pages), and perhaps best of all, small enough to carry in a jacket pocket. It also uses an interesting and highly useful visual "sonagram" approach to conveying information about bird vocalizations.

Unfortunately, however, the ornithological powers that be are constantly lumping and splitting species, rendering field guides at least somewhat obsolete overnight. Consequently, these books must be updated periodically so as to be optimally useful to birders. The Golden guide was last updated during the 1980s, and was long overdue for a makeover.

Happily, this has finally been provided. And indeed, this revised version of the guide is (for the moment) up to date regarding the various lumps and splits that have gone into effect over the past decade. Some of the "splits" are fully illustrated, as with the Canyon vs. California (formerly Brown) towhee. Some, however, are only mentioned in the text, and sometimes all too briefly. It's probably ok not to have a separate illustration of the smaller Gunnison species of the Sage grouse, but a separate illustration of the California gnatcatcher surely should have been provided. Similarly, the somewhat larger and brighter Island scrub jay should have been depicted separately from its relatives the scrub and Florida jays.

Certainly, the publishers of this revised version of the Golden guide have made an earnest effort to provide an updated and attractive entry into the increasingly crowded birding field guide competition. They have included, for example, some new plates illustrating the various introduced parrot species and some (surely not all) of the Eurasian vagrants that are reported in Alaska and along the west coast. There also is a fine illustration comparing the tail feather patterns of both common and accidental pipit species.

However, it seems apparent that the update to this guide was done on a fairly tight budget. Most disappointing is the sometimes mediocre reproduction of what otherwise are fine color illustration plates. Particularly in the shorebird, gull, and tern sections, the quality is simply not first-rate. Apparently sloppy reproduction work also can lead to some misleading visual information. For example, based upon the illustrations of the loon species, one might conclude that the summer Pacific loon has a greenish throat patch while that of the Arctic loon is purplish.

Still, overall, I have always liked this field guide simply because it is so very easy to carry and to use. Consequently, whereas other larger, heavier volumes may be what I study while preparing for a day in the field, the Golden guide provides me with the quick reference I might need while out in the field. As a handy pocket reference, I would continue to recommend that birders consider purchasing this field guide in its updated version.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 2001 Edition -- Updated but we hoped for more, August 21, 2001

By	M. Mcclain "mmcbs" (Virginia USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have carried the older edition of this bird book for a number of years, and purchased this new one as the old one had become so dog eared as to be embarassing. Also we knew that many species ranges were changing, and wanted to be up to date on that information. The new edition has the same format (down to the exact page) as the previous, and same illustrations. The many advantages of this guide include:

1) It has every bird you are likely to see in North America 2) Everything about a species is on one page, including illustration, description, range map, and sonogram of song (for many species) 3) Nice comparison charts of similar and confusing species 4) Range maps include migration date lines 5) True pocket size -- you will carry this book with you in the field!

The new edition also has updated nomenclature for species that the bird expert powers-that-be keep changing on us. It also has updated range maps for those species whose ranges are changing. It is printed on a slicker stock than the previous (only time will tell if this is better). It also has a new "quick" index which is handy for locating birds by generic name (crows).

But there are some disappointments.

1) It is probably 95% a reprint of the previous edition, both with respect to descriptions and (particularly) illustrations 2) The little check boxes to mark off birds you have seen are missing from the new edition -- surely that was an oversight(?) 3) They did not correct the one thing that was a true weakness of the previous edition, that the range maps are small and rather difficult to interpret. How much easier it would be if the US state borders were overprinted on these little range maps (or for that matter Canadian provinces and Mexican states)???

But of course, it is still our favorite -- if you have only one bird book, and you want to carry it in your pocket, this is the one to buy.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great artwork, presentation, and value, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Birds of North America (Golden Field Guide from St. Martin's Press) (Hardcover)

How they can sell this book at such a low price is beyond me. Lots of quality here.

Look at the cover with the buntings: it's not just some recycled art from the interior, but a specially painted picture just for the cover. This is part of the value that the authors offer you.

More importantly, the illustrations really capture what the birds look like in real life -- to my mind better than other paintings in guides and a thousand times better than photos -- and the text is clear and to the point.

Sections that showcase winter plumage of gulls or peeps or that illustrate the heads of warblers or sparrows have the page numbers right next to each picture so you can just whip over to bird in question if you need more information.

I especially like the fact that the range maps are right next to the bird's picture so you don't have to thumb to some inconvenient map index the back of the book only to find that the bird is never present in your area. Everything is right there to help you make a quick identification.