I would like good photographs as well as watercolors. I see different
things in photos and paintings all of which are useful. I would also
like to have representation of both male and female for each species as
well as representation either visually or in words for juvenile and for
breeding and non-breeding. I also LOVE the idea of having songs at the
push of a button. Do I ask too much?

Margaret Parkinson
University District
Seattle



-----Original Message-----
From: TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu
[mailto:TWEETERS-owner at u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Ian Paulsen
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 10:42 AM
To: birdbooklist at yahoogroups.com
Cc: birdchat at listserv.arizona.edu; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: designing the best field guide

HI ALL:
I was wondering what you would want to be in the best bird field guide
if
you were designing it? I would:
1) Want the best artist(s) to illustrate it (of course!)
2) Limit the number of species per page. The National geographic and the

Collins/Princeton Birds of Europe guide have an average of 4 species per

page, often more than that in the National Geographic. I would like to
see
2 per page (3 at the most, except perhaps accidental species on a page
or
pages together,the really rare ones NOT the rare but regular species). I

know this would take up extra space and wouldn't be a "field" guide but
these identification species pairs (isp) would be useful for those
difficult species to identify. Maybe if size is a problem for a guide
book
maybe there could be an isp field guide? any comments?

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
ipaulsen at krl.org
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way"