Hello Tweeters:
I just received my copy of the following book:
Identification Guide to North American Birds:Part 1 by Peter Pyle.
1997. 732 pp. Slate Creek Press. Bolinas,CA.listed at $39.95 plus
shipping.ISBN:0-9618940-2-4.
This book is subtitled : "A compendium of information on
identifying, ageing and sexing "near-passerines" and passerines in the
hand." This is a greatly updated and expanded version of Pyle et al 1987
Identification of N.A. Passerines also published by Slate Creek Press.Each
species account covers the following areas:
Species Identification
Geographic variation
Molt
Skull
Age
Sex
Hybrids reported
References

This book covers all of the native N.A. Birds and most of the
introduced species (although Sky Lark and Eurasian Collared-Dove are
absent). It covers all the passerines and all of the non-passerines
between the pigeons and woodpeckers. Although this book is designed for
banders and other people who handle birds there is a lot of information
that can be used in the field. The treatment of geographic
variation/subspecies is the most up-to-date I have seen since the 1957 AOU
Checklist. If you are interested in the finer points of bird
identification, I strongly recommend this book! Copies are available at
Flora and Fauna Books in Seattle for $42.00 or directly from Slate Creek
Press for $39.95 plus shipping. Slate Creek Press's phone number is
(415)868-1221.
Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Is., WA