A Guide to Field Guides

A question we hear often at Wild About Birds is “What book should I buy to help me identify birds?”; it’s a question to which there is no simple answer! There are dozens of field guides on the market and we carry several different ones – from a simple laminated photo card to the top-of-the-line Sibley field guide and everything in between!

If you are strictly a backyard birder, like I am, then the Stokes’ field guide might be your choice. If you’re new to bird watching, check out the beginner’s guides by Stokes, Peterson, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Audubon Society – one of them will probably be perfect for you! Some folks prefer photographs rather than artists’ interpretations, so Stokes’ guides, the Birds of Ohio, and the National Audubon Society guides are for you. Birders looking for a field guide that’s a tad more sophisticated should check out Kaufman’s focus guide, the fourth edition of the National Geographic field guide, and Sibley’s field guide.

Print isn’t the only media available for assistance in bird identification. We have videos (for purchase or rental) from Stokes, the Audubon Society, and George Harrison (no, not the Beatle!). Peterson has some terrific CDs/cassettes for bird song and bird call identification. We also carry Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s CD-ROMs for your PC.

So, whether you’re a backyard bird watcher or a world-traveling birder, Wild About Birds carries a field guide just right for you!