| Birds of North America | 
 enlarge | Author: Kenn Kaufman
Creators: Nora Bowers, Rick Bowers, Lynn Hassler Kaufman
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Category: Book
List Price: CDN$ 33.95
Buy New: CDN$ 21.39
You Save: CDN$ 12.56 (37%)
New (2) Used (3) from CDN$ 21.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 355140
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 4.8 x 1
ISBN: 0618073248
Dewey Decimal Number: 598.097
UPC: 046442073240
EAN: 9780618073245
ASIN: 0618073248
Publication Date: March 18, 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
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From Amazon.com
World-renowned birder Kenn Kaufman addresses a long-running paradox of bird field guides with his Focus Guide. While beginning birdwatchers prefer photographic guides like those by Donald Stokes, the physical traits that make identification easier are more readily discerned in the idealized paintings of illustrative guides like those by Roger Tory Peterson and National Geographic. Kaufman's groundbreaking work combines the best of both approaches by digitally enhancing photographic images to show the characteristics that are sometimes not apparent in photographs. Some other distinguishing features include: - The guide is organized by bird family groupings rather than strict taxonomic classification; this is a feature that will appeal especially to beginners.
- Text descriptions and range maps for each species appear on the page facing the plate of respective bird images.
- Important field marks are highlighted.
- Color-coded tabs identify each grouping of birds (waders, warblers, sparrows, etc.) for quick thumb indexing.
Kaufman's efforts follow the auspicious tradition of Roger Tory Peterson, whose portable field guide system was the first of its kind to meet the needs of the average birdwatcher. "It's the guide I've always wanted," says Kaufman, "and I suspect most birders will feel the same way."
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 Love it and recommend it. Great novice field guide June 30, 2004
I grew up with an aunt who loved Birding. When I was a child she gave me a Golden Books Guide. I havent birded since and decided to buy a new book and compare the two.. Ken's guide blows it away..Many have opinions about the advantage/disadvantage of photographs or paintings, but after having the book I'll choose Ken s photos every time. He did a superb job with this book and photos. I always hated how the books with painted images appeared brighter in its colors than the birds in real life. I went thru most every pocket sized guide outthere and this book was my #1 pick. It has a tougher Flexicover than most all others and the color coded pages are quick and easy for a novice. The picture set ups are great and not jumbled/jammed together as other books. Granted this is not a desk manual so it only has the minumum required info on each bird, but thats all you need for a pocket field guide.
A new approach to a field guide... November 18, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book.If you are looking to buy a bird guide for yourself or as a gift, you can't go wrong with this.The problem of buying a bird guide is that there are so many to choose from;especially if the buyer has not been birding for several years.Personally,I would recommend this for a fairly new birder as opposed to Peterson's guide for one reason alone.this book covers all of North America.Peterson has one for the East and one for the West;and while if you only want your guide to use in either the East or West,that's not too bad,but if you are in the center of the continent, or plan to travel,you'll need both.So,simple ,why buy 2 when 1 will do?The Golden covers all N,A. but does not have the "arrows" pointing out the best identification features.I also feel the computer enhanced pictures are better;but that can be a matter of preference.The single page index at the back of Kenn's book will be a big help to new or average birders.Either of Kaufman,s Peterson,s or Golden are excellent to start birding.The National Geographic and Sibleys are also excellent;but a better choice for a more experienced (5+ years).Up until Kaufman's book,very few birders liked photographs ,as opposed to drawings,but this book has changed all that.
After saying all that,and it would be easy to go on comparing these guides,in the final analiyis ,you can't go too far wrong.If you or the person you are buying the book for takes birding serious you'll probably buy all the guides mentioned before too long.There are good points going for all of them.
best field guide July 6, 2003
i own several bird guides and this is by far my very favorite. i love having the maps with the descriptions. i also like the notations about song and calls, which have helped me ID birds long before i have seen them. if you have to choose only one guide, i'd recommend this one.
I give this one to my friends June 25, 2003
I've owned and enjoyed numerous field guides through my 50+ years of life: Peterson, Golden, National Geographic Society, Audubon, Sibley and Kaufman. My homes have been Illinois, Alaska and Montana. The guide I carry in the field today is Kaufman's BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA.His digitally altered photographs are not as lovely as the paintings in the latest NGS, Sibley or Peterson guides (which I own and admire). His written comments are enjoyable, brief and apt. Kaufman's guide works best, I believe, for quick identification in the field. That is why this is the first bird book I give to my friends. Negatives? Sure. I do not care for the colored pages (indexing okay, but not entire pages), and I think some of the owls look weird.
A great book for the casual birdwatcher June 5, 2002
I bought this book a year ago so I could identify the birds coming to my backyard feeder, and I still keep it by my sofa. The illustrations are very good, the descriptions clear, and the maps showing the range of each of the birds very useful. I've been able to identify every bird passing through my yard, and even enjoy browsing the pitcures/write-ups of those birds I likely will never see.
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