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From: bob@delphi.uchicago.edu (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: field guides
Message-ID: <9538@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 31 May 90 22:05:13 GMT
References: <90149.195051JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET>
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Reply-To: bob@delphi.UUCP (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.)
Organization: University of Chicago
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In article <90149.195051JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET> JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET writes:
>I started thinking
>about U.S. field guides....What do other people use, and why? 

I think the National Geographic Guide is the best all round guide:
its illustrations are generally pretty accurate, it covers more
plumages than most other field guides, and it more often points out
subtle distinctions between difficult species.  However, it is not
perfect, and, for some tough species, it does not say enough.  The
illustrations vary in quality--for instance, I don't like the sparrow
illustrations very much, and I would like to see more extensive
coverage of immature gull plumages.  But still, it's better than most.

I've heard that Houghton Mifflin (Peterson Field Guide Series) is
publishing an advanced field guide (by Ken Kaufmann, I think), which
should be on the market this year.  I can't wait to see it.