On my shelf - Not usually in my pocket

Peterson’s Field Guides are certainly among the most well-respected in the business. The Petersons, (Roger Tory and his wife, Virginia Marie) have certainly been widely recognized as experts in this field for many years. I’ve read many articles in magazines by RTP, and I certainly recognize his genius. He claimed in the intro to this book that his wife helped him do research for the book, so I will take his word that she is also knowledgeable and helped in more ways that just her map-making skills. Nonetheless, this is one of my least-favorite guides.

First of all, I do want to make clear that I do not have the latest edition listed here on this site. I have an older edition, but it does have the Flexibinder binding, and is titled inside “A Completely New Guide to All the Birds of Eastern and Central North America.” So in keeping with the guidelines that we don’t list every little variant of a product, I am assuming it is okay for me to review the slightly older edition; still basically the same book, with still basically the same “pros” and “cons.”

HOW THE BOOK IS ORGANIZED
Following an introduction and table of contents, we have a very nice handy “Life List.” By my estimate (I did count all the listings on one whole page, one partial page, and estimated the other whole pages), there are approximately 325 species listed here. There follows a very nice section on identifying birds, with a “topography of a bird” section. Then the guide section follows. Each left-hand page has several species listed, grouped by family of bird (Grebes, Diving Ducks, etc.). We get info on size, color, markings, maybe shape, often voice, range, variations in geographical areas (black over eyes more noticeable in North, for example), and possibly food and habitat notes. On the facing (right-hand) pages will be the drawings of the birds, in what is know as “The Peterson system” – more about this later. Following the guide (the majority of the book) is a section on exotics and escapees, accidentals, and then a section with range maps for selected species (not all). An index follows. The endpages of this book are also useful – the front endpages give perching or standing silhouettes of representative birds, and the back endpages give in-flight silhouettes of many representative birds.

SPECIFIC OPINIONS
The introductory information, and specifically the identification material, is excellent. Mr. Peterson gives very helpful and detailed information about looking out for different beak types (well-illustrated), different tail shapes (also illustrated), etc. In addition, throughout the picture pages on the right-hand side of the book, there are inserts and additional drawings that focus attention ton differences between similar birds, or that will show differences in silhouettes, or wing shapes, or whatever. Mr. Peterson does go out of his way to help you distinguish between likely candidates. I would say his helpfulness in this regard is the very best thing about this guide.

As mentioned, the pictures here are drawings, specifically, “Peterson system” drawings. This means they are very specifically drawings that EMPHASIZE field marks, and de-emphasize confusing clutter. Mr. Peterson feels this is an advantage due to “the increasing sophistication of birders.” Perhaps I am not sophisticated enough. Let me quote from his own words in the introduction, though, as I certainly understand his logic here:
“A drawing can do much more than a photograph to emphasize the field marks. A photograph is a record of a fleeting instant; a drawing is a composite of the artist’s experience. The artist can edit out, show field marks to best advantage, and delete unnecessary clutter. He can choose position and stress basic color and pattern unmodified by transitory light and shade.” Well, yeah. So, if I could get the darned bird to stand still, and let me choose the position, then I think maybe I could interpret the drawings better. But I personally, am still at that unsophisticated stage where I deal best with photographs. So for ME, the drawings are not a “pro”. (The drawings also have little arrows that point out the distinguishing characteristics, which IS a help even to unsophisticated me, and is a part of the “Peterson system.”)

The species info is very scant, and slanted heavily toward identification only. That’s okay, it’s a field guide, not an armchair anecdotal book. But since the descriptions are so bare-bones, it makes it a book that I consult rather rarely. I only pull it out when I am having trouble distinguishing something I’ve consulted other guides for FIRST.

I’m a little incredulous of the claim (on the back cover and in the title) that this book as “All” the birds of eastern and central North America, but it does have approximately 128 pages of listings, with an average of 4 to 6 species on each page, so that is a lot of birds! I would suspect that if it’s not in this book, you’re not likely to see it in the wild.

Once again, we have a field guide that just misses fitting comfortably in a jeans back pocket. Are there special birding jeans that I’m not aware of? I guess the cargo jeans would accommodate this nicely, and certainly a backpack would carry it, but I’d rather have one just a half-inch thinner that I could slip easily in and out of that back pocket with ease? Is that such a big deal to ask, publishers?

Finally, I absolutely hate having to flip a book back and forth WHILE I’m trying to identify a bird. I might have binoculars in one hand and the book in another. (And I wear glasses, which makes for more gear.) I can’t hold a finger at one place in the book while flipping to the back to see if that bird even inhabits MY neck of the woods. The range maps need to reside on the page where I’ve found the bird’s picture/description, which is how most handy field guides do.

IF - and only if - the system of drawings with field marks highlighted or emphasized works for you, then by all means get this guide, and have fun, and I hope you complete the 325 or so species listed on the life list! But if you don't care for the drawings and do better with photographs, pass on this one.