A home for their hearts Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 We just put up a few bird feeders and have see many different birds. We are having a wonderful time watching them but I have no idea what any of them are, we except for the cardinals and blue jays :rolleyes: I would like a field guide that I could use along with my dc if possible. Any suggestions? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Oh, me me meeee!! *raising hand*!! If you'd like a beginner guide that will have only the most common birds so you don't have to sort through all of the many slight variations (in sparrows and finches, for example) that probably won't be in your region, this one is great: http://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Beginners-Guide-Birds-Eastern/dp/0316818119 The full version of that book (Eastern Region) is also very good and the guide that we use at our house is the Peterson's A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America: http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Eastern-Central-America/dp/0395740479 (Btw, there is a First Field Guide version of this book which would also be good for beginners!) We are in OH and get a pretty good variety of feathered friends. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Heather Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 A field guide by Stan Tekiela. The book is color coded according to the bird. You see a red bird you go the red section and all the red birds are listed. It is very easy to use, my 6dd has loved it. My mom bought it for us this weekend. There are also audio CD's that you can purchase to go with them http://www.stantekiela.com/Bookstore/catalog_main_01.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mull-berry-ish Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 eNature is an online field guide. Cool thing about it is that you can enter your zip code and it will list the birds most common to your area. Even cooler is their bird audio guide ... so if you can hear them but not see them, you can still identify. Happy birding!!! The guide at our zoo said that she prefered guide that had illustrations instead of photos (which I prefer). She said that the artist can incorporate many of the distinguishing marks on the bird/plant, therefore, making it easier to identify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genie Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 We started birdwatching this year, and I wanted to start off with a book specifically for this area. I learned pretty quickly, however, that the area-specific book didn't have all the birds we were seeing. So I bought The Sibley Guide to Birds. It is a big book, but they are grouped by type, and I have found it extremely useful. I never grab the local book anymore. If, after looking at the book, I still can't figure it out, I do a Google Image search of the few that I narrowed it down to. Usually, once I see some online pictures, it becomes quite obvious which bird it is. I also really appreciate that this book will show the variations in males and females, juvenile and adult, the differences between similar species, as well as changes that occur during different seasons. Many other books may only show male and female, but not juvenile, or not what they look like during breeding season. These changes can make a HUGE difference in finding the right bird. Good luck with your birdwatching! We have immensely enjoyed learning about them this year, and watching them change through the seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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