Subject: Re: Choosing the Best Field Guide
Date: Feb 13 11:19:33 1995
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at ups.edu


>I am a beginning birder and have been using Peterson's Field Guide. I also
>purchased a National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds of North
>America. I'm wondering which book is considered the best choice. I have
>heard that the illustrations in the NGS guide are not always accurate. Can
>you shed some more light on the subject.
>
>Please reply to Shawna - my Internet address is:
>kevinb at sos.net
>Kevin R. Benedict

Shawna, I think I'd recommend the Peterson guide to a beginner. I think
it's a simpler presentation, except for the frustration of the range maps
being in the back, and you can mark species that occur in your area (even
by their seasonality) if you wish. The NGS includes very rare species with
the common ones, which can confuse beginners and, for that matter, any of
us. But I think it does a better job showing plumage variation.

Peterson's paintings are variable, mostly pretty good but not always; some
look stiffer than they should, but by and large they are very useful.
There may be some gain in the fact that all were painted by the same
person. The NGS paintings are much more variable, because 13 artists
contributed plates. Some are really excellent, a few are pretty bad. I
like the NGS text better.

It's sufficiently difficult to say that my recommendation would be to use
them both.

Also, be sure to get a book with good photographs, like the 3-volume set
The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding. Have fun!

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416