It's coming out in November. You can pre-order it at Amazon.com right now.
They changed the cover to a black background and have a new index in the
book.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0792268776/qid=1031837774/sr=
8-2/ref=sr_8_2/103-6132066-0856668?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Bruce Fischer
Aberdeen, WA
stump at techline.com

Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 19:06:33 -0700
From: "Jack Stephens" <jstephens62 at attbi.com>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Cc: "Birdchat" <birdchat at listserv.arizona.edu>
Subject: Nat Geo Guide?
Message-ID: <003c01c25a01$05669030$5833e60c at FRED>

I just got my invitation to order the 4th edition of the Field Guide to the
Birds of North America from the National Geographic Society. It has only
been three years since the last edition, has anyone heard of a new edition
coming out?

Jack Stephens
Edmonds, WA
jstephens62 at attbi.com