Birds of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides) - Hardcover

Kaufman, Kenn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618073248 ISBN 13: 9780618073245

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2001

Synopsis

Collects photographs, range maps, and descriptive entries identifying the markings, habits, habitat, and voice of each species.

About this title

Review:

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."

About the Author:

Kenn Kaufman is a legend among birders. At sixteen he hitchhiked back and forth across North America, traveling eighty thousand miles in a year, simply to see as many birds as he could; he came back to tell the story in KINGBIRD HIGHWAY. A field editor for AUDUBON and a regular contributor to every major birding magazine, he is the youngest person ever to receive the Ludlow Griscom Award, the highest honor of the American Birding Association. His natural history pursuits have taken him to all seven continents, but he has made a special study of North American birds. His books include LIVES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, the PETERSON FIELD GUIDE TO ADVANCED BIRDING, and the FOCUS GUIDE TO BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. He resides in Tucson, Arizona.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0618073248
• ISBN 13: 9780618073245
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384
• Editor: Kaufman Kenn