Review by Choice Review
This excellent compendium, in an expanded and revised form, derives from National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America (4th ed., 2002). A useful handbook for all 962 birds recorded in this area, it offers much more than that handy, well-received field guide. The greatly expanded text includes sections on identification, measurements, geographic variation, similar species, voice, status and distribution, and population. Illustrative material includes color paintings, a range map, and frequently a photograph. The maps have been revised by Paul Lehman, America's leading authority on bird distribution and abundance. About 4,000 illustrations, 150 color photographs, and 750 range maps are included. Written by 25 ornithologists, the expert text is divided into 82 sections, each dealing with a distinct bird family. Helpful sidebars highlight special identification problems. With all of this, this hefty book is a bargain. Unfortunately, the binding is so severe (with portions of the text and illustrations extending deep into the binding crease) that, in order to easily see it all, the pages have to be depressed with some force. Despite this defect, this valuable work will be very useful in a range of libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. H. T. Armistead Free Library of Philadelphia
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Birders rejoice! National Geographic has come through once again with a volume that libraries and bird enthusiasts will welcome to their shelves. Ornithologist and illustrator Alderfer is the general editor of this fine resource that, as he acknowledges, is too large to be a field guide, although many may throw it in their bags while birding. Described as a "companion to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America,0 " the book pulls together a remarkable amount of information into what can only be described as one of the finest one-volume reference works ever published on North American birds. The organization will be familiar to bird aficionados everywhere. Each of the 82 avian families is treated in an individual section that begins with a brief essay covering the special characteristics of the family in terms of structure, behavior, plumage, distribution, taxonomy, and conservation. Each genus is then taken in turn; 962 species in total are described. Species entries include outstanding illustrations of each distinctive phase, gender, variant, and subspecies where such illustrations will provide assistance in identification. Clear and updated distribution maps are included. Occasional sidebars offer information on differentiating similar species and subspecies as well as other interesting details about a particular bird or group of birds. Directly aimed at helping birders, the text for each species pays special attention to distinctive characteristics and offers helpful advice for identification. Comprehensiveness is excellent, and there is no reason to doubt the editor's claim that the book includes every resident and established variant through September 2005. Alderfer and National Geographic have produced a volume that, though certainly not as comprehensive as Cornell University's Birds of North America 0 http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA, rivals and often surpasses the Audubon Society's Sibley Guide to Birds0 (Knopf, 2000). Enthusiastically recommended for most types of libraries and collections. --Jeff Kosokoff Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Birders certainly have their hands full with all the recently published field guides and companion volumes (Tom Wood's The Birds of North America; Bill Thompson's Identify Yourself). The latest to take wing is this massive desk reference, a companion to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. (An additional companion is the National Geographic Reference Atlas to the Birds of North America.) Edited by birding expert and field guide illustrator Alderfer, it includes the expected: chapters for the more than 80 avian families, with an overview of plumage, behavior, distribution, taxonomy, and conservation. This is followed by descriptions of all 962 species (covering identification, similar species, voice, status, and distribution) and sidebars that address such topics as difficult identifications. This is an admirable work, richly illustrated with 150 color photographs, 4000 art pieces, and 750 maps, but how does it compare with David Sibley's acclaimed The Sibley Guide to Birds? While both sources offer the information birders desire, National Geographic's use of technical terminology may especially attract advanced birders craving detailed, technical descriptions (e.g., Sibley refers to "bills" while National Geographic identifies them as "mandibles"). Birders seeking comparative essays may prefer Sibley, while those who crave individual species details will go with National Geographic. Libraries should feather their nests with both volumes. Strongly recommended for all natural history collections.-Nancy Moeckel, Brill Science Lib., Miami Univ., Oxford, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
