Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

I would recommend this book to anyone, beginner or advanced, who is interested in observing birds in eastern North America. This guide has something for everyone.


Best field size guide ever.   May 25, 2003
 30 out of 31 found this review helpful

The Sibley Guide to Birds, as most mention, is a great guide but too heavy to tote into the field...this field guide solves that problem.

Yes, the illustrations are smaller, but just as useable. Yes, some of the illustrations in the original guide have been deleted, but the guide you take with is better than the one at home. (You should have the original at home anyway!)

I find that the addition of Status, Habitat and Behavior in the text more than makes up for fewer illustrations.

Well made and sturdy...buy it!


A guide in hand is worth two on your bookshelf   May 16, 2003
 19 out of 19 found this review helpful

I started birdwatching a year and a half ago and the Sibley Guide to Birds was the first guide I purchased. Although I had been told it was for "expert" birders, I just thought the illustrations were much clearer than any other guide. It was a joy to look at, at home on my couch. But I never wanted to take it with me in the field because it's too darn heavy.

So the Sibley FIELD Guide is the exactly the guide I've been wishing for. The illustrations are just as clear, even though they've been scaled down, and the format is a managable size and weight. The original guide had many variations, by region, sex, age, etc., and I think they had to drop a few of these, but at my level of birdwatching I don't miss them. The guide DOES still show male and female, first year, etc. I took this guide with me to Prospect Park, Brooklyn, last weekend, and I saw and ID'ed 45 species. Not bad for an amateur!

Expert birders will already be familiar with Sibley and can make up their own minds, so I would like to say to beginning birdwatchers, give this guide a shot. I really think the illustrations are the best and most helpful.


shocking blooper   May 15, 2003
 11 out of 23 found this review helpful

What a SHOCK to open both of Sibley's Eastern and Western Field Guides and find Alberta transposed with British Columbia on the endpaper map at the back of each book. I opened a book at the back to read the bio and look at Sibley's photo and glanced at the map and I stared and stared, not believing my eyes. I checked all the provinces and states to make sure that was the only error. Other than that, these books are great, with super illustrations and I appreciate the range maps on the pages with the birds.