A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America: A Visual Directory of the Most Popular Backyard Birds

by Rob Hume

An essential tool for any amateur bird-watcher in the United States.

Whether you’re just getting started birding or want to build on your existing knowledge, this handbook provides you with all you need, making it the companion in the field. Inside this gorgeously illustrated guide, you’ll find:

• The basics of bird-watching, including when, where, and what to look for, as well as how to take accurate notes and make sketches.
• A fascinating introduction to the amazing world of birds, including facts on their anatomy, feathers, calls and postures, courtship, and nests.
• A unique lay-flat logbook, filled with tips to get the most out of bird-watching, so you can chart your own findings and observations over 2 years.
• More than 50 of the most commonly seen birds in the United States in one comprehensive species catalog.
• How to turn your own backyard into a safe and hospitable bird reserve.

 
Sized perfectly to fit into a shoulder bag next to your binoculars, A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America is the one book you won’t want to leave home without.

• ISBN13: 9780785840756
• Publish Date: 28 June 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Book Sales Inc
• Imprint: Chartwell Books Inc.,U.S.
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America is a well illustrated field guide for a wide range of wild birds in North America written by Rob Hume. Due out 28th June 2022 from Quarto on their Chartwell imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in flexibound format.

Roughly 1/3 of the book is introductory ornithological info about general bird biology and behavior. The information is layman accessible and easy to understand as well as factually accurate. The next chapter includes a collection of specific profiles for common birds which readers would be likely to see in their own backyards. The listing of birds includes 52 entries for birds which readers might expect to find in much of North America, including urban areas, parks, and suburban environments and parklands. There are no photos, but the drawn color illustrations are clear and distinct and easily recognizable.

Half the page content is identical pages provided in a log format for readers to make entries and keep track of sightings. Each of the two page spreads includes a small highlighted text box with bird tracking tips and advice for maximizing enjoyment and understanding.

The book also includes a basic glossary, and index, but no bibliography or links for further reading.

Three and a half stars. It could be a good resource for beginning bird watchers, family activity, or possibly for scouting/activity groups, school library and the like.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.