The Golden Guide
Birds of North America
This
is a handy little book, and the least expensive of all the popular general
field guides. It covers all the birds of North America in one volume,
which is small enough to fit into a pocket.
Range maps
Range maps are adjacent to
the text and opposite the pictures of the birds. Throughout the book,
silhouettes help the reader to recognize birds by their shapes.
The text
is well organized. The book makes sense of the classification system of
birds, a subject which mystifies many birders, by clearly indicating the
families and orders.
Thumbnail sketches
For
many species, in addition to the main illustration there are small thumbnail
sketches demonstrating typical behavior that may aid in identification.
For example, the American Robin is shown running on a lawn and pulling
up a worm. Just like they do. These little vignettes often offer excellent clues to the identity of a bird.
Sonagrams
Unique
among North American field guides, the Golden includes a sonagram for
most species' vocalizations. A few minutes study of the introduction will
enable the reader to use these diagrams to help identify birds and learn
their songs.
Portability
The compactness,
low price, and good organization of this book make it a good choice. Even if you have other field guides, with more detailed treatments of each birds, sometimes you just want to carry something small. Something you can tuck in your pocket and not be weighed down.
|