"There is a lot of helpful information tucked into the 192 pages of this handy guide. The first thing I liked was the List of Species Covered on the inside front flap, a great, easy, helpful reference. The next thing I noticed (well, after I browsed the pictures, which are bright and clear) was that in the introduction the authors took the time to define their terms, rather than relying solely on a glossary or previous knowledge. The species accounts are arranged taxonomically, are 2 to 5 pages long, most with multiple pictures.
From the publisher: “This is the first comprehensive photographic identification guide to tanagers, cardinals, and finches. Many of North America's finest bird and wildlife photographers have supplied a stunning collection of images, some of which depict plumages rarely available in other publications.
The 200 photographs have been carefully selected to illustrate age, seasonal, and sexual variation in all of the species found north of Mexico, including introduced species and vagrants. The text is designed to introduce the reader to the biology, identification, molts, vocalization, and distribution of the forty-six species covered. Each photograph is accompanied by a caption outlining relevant identification features, and original range maps illustrate the distributions of all the species that regularly occur north of Mexico. This is a must-have guide for field use by amateurs and professionals alike.
• Images from North America's finest bird and wildlife photographers
• Detailed notes on characteristics of species
• Captions outlining relevant identification features
About the authors:
David Beadle has illustrated a number of books and field guides, including New World Warblers and Sparrows of the United States and Canada, and a series of Ecotravellers guides to various neotropical countries. He is coauthor, with J. D. Rising, of two books on North American sparrows. He is at work on the forthcoming Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil.
J. D. Rising teaches in the Department of Zoology at the University of Toronto. He is the author, with David Beadle, of A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada and Sparrows of the United States and Canada
Paper with flaps, 192 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 ½, full-color photographs, maps, May 2006"
