Before eBird, Merlin and the Internet, birders relied on published field guides to get the information to help them identify the birds they saw. Many still do.
I am a bibliophile. I love books especially those on topics that interest me. One of my favorite pastimes is going to my local library’s book sales. They often sell older versions of field guides that have been replaced by new editions. I pick up books on birds for $1 or $2. So now, I have a collection of about 30 field guides covering not just my local regional birds, but national and international birds as well.
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Field guides were developed and designed to be portable and easy to use so that a birder could identify birds quickly in their environment while they are out birding. The books can help you figure out what birds you could encounter in a particular area or environment at a particular time of year. In addition, to a physical description of a species and often colored sketches or photographs, they often include the type of environment, time of year, nesting, vocalizations and other behaviors.
Here are a few of the guides I picked up from my library sales:
The Peterson Guide still has the library bar code
I recently picked up a newer version of Peterson’s. Some of these books have photo plates.
Here are some guides for birding in other continents. The first 3 books came from book sales, the Australian field guide came from a friend who went to Australia and bought the book for me.
Four books on Africa and the Mideast.
Most of these books on international birding were not part of the library’s lending collection. Various patrons probably went birding on their travels, brought these books back and later donated them to the library book sale.
Although I don’t travel abroad, I also buy birding books and pamphlets specific to the area that I am visiting. When I started actively birding, I also bought books specific to my region. I added these to my collection as well.
Here are some regional guides. The two books in the middle came from the library sales.
Books and pamphlets I brought back from my travels.
Many areas have color foldout laminated pamphlets with the most common birds in their locale. These are inexpensive less than $10 and are handy when you not sure what you might see in the area. Many local nature centers may have a paper simple bird list often very specific to the location.
Love these as they are great souvenirs.
What I like about the different field guides is that they often present the information in different formats and include additional information. This gives me a more complete understanding of a specific species.
Here is how the Acorn Woodpecker is presented in various guides:
Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America Written and Illustrated by David Allen Sibley
This guide gives a general description, prominent field marks and illustrations, a paragraph on environment and vocalizations. It includes a map of the bird’s range.
Peterson Field Guides Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson
Grouped with other woodpeckers, a short paragraph listing field marks; vocalizations, range and habitat. A separate section in the book has the range maps.
All About Birds California — The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
A full page in this book is devoted to each species. Four color pictures shows both adults, male and female, and juveniles. For species that have breeding plumage, the photos will depict breeding and non breeding plumage.
Information includes: Size, shape, field marks, patterns, behaviors and habitat. There is also a range map.
Unfortunately, not all California birds are included. Some migratory and less common birds are not presented.
Birds of Western North America, A Photographic Guide by Paul Sterry & Brian E. Small
As with the other guides, basic information on size, shape, colors, behaviors, habitat, etc. In addition, the authors include great observation tips: does the species sit in the open, or do you listen for a call? Are you likely to see only one bird, a pair or a flock?
Some of the books and pamphlets will have species list with a graph showing what times of the year, you are most likely to see a specific bird.
List of birds with time of year graph. The thicker and darker line the more likely you are to see it.
This book on Pt. Reyes lists the birds that can be seen at each location and when.
It very easy to take a field guide along, when out birding especially when you are in a rural area that may not have internet access. No electronics are necessary to help you identify a bird.
When planning a birding trip, reading a field guide in advance may increase your odds in seeing a particular bird native to that area.
For me, they are also fun to read. The Australian field guide has penguins, cockatoos and parrots, along with fancy finches and kookaburras. if I ever get to Australia, I will definitely see some great birds as I know where to go looking for them.
I also have full sized orthinological books on birds including one from the 1960s that included vinyl records with various bird calls.
You can always go online to the aforementioned ebird, merlin, wikipedia, etc. for more info but I like books. There is something permanent about them.
You can also get field guides to reptiles, mammals, insects, butterflies, wildflowers, trees and fungi as well. My Audubon guide to California has wildflowers, reptiles and mammals in addition to the birds.
In local news, we are barreling full speed into summer. The average temps are rapidly rising and June will see NorCal hit triple digit temperatures.
I will respond to folks later today as I am off to bird the San Luis NWR. I need to go early to avoid the heat and it’s a 2-hour drive.
What’s up in your neck of the woods?
