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A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America
 
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A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America [Paperback]

Virginia Marie Peterson (Editor), Roger Tory Peterson (Series Editor)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Roger Tory Peterson had already made his mark with his innovative field guide when he conducted DDT research during World War II. His friend and fellow naturalist Rachel Carson built on these efforts and eventually wrote Silent Spring, a landmark text that, along with Peterson's field guide, jump-started the modern environmental movement. By combining the tireless observation of a scientist with the imaginative skills of an artist and writer, Peterson created a field guide that Robert Bateman, in his foreword to the fifth edition, says was the doorway for millions of people into the wonderland of natural history. The Peterson Identification System has been used in the more than fifty books that make up the Peterson Field Guide series. Peterson's magnum opus, now in its fifth edition, created the trail for countless field guides to follow. They are still following year by year, but his is the standard by which all other field guides are judged. On the morning of July 28, 1996, Roger Peterson was painting his final bird plate. He died peacefully in his sleep later that day. It is fitting that his final worka culmination of more than sixty years of observing, painting, and writingshould be this one, a revision of the guide that started his legacy.

About the Author

Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world"s greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation, as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars, and the Peterson Field Guides® are credited with helping to set the stage for the environmental movement.

Virginia Marie Peterson worked with her husband, Roger Tory Peterson, to research and create three-color range maps for several books in The Peterson Field Guide Series(R).
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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
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4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Field Guide for Beginner to Intermediate Birder, Mar 17 2002
By 
Hany Aziz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America (Hardcover)
This is the last Field Guide done by the great Roger Tory Peterson before his passing in 1996. Most of the plates have been reworked and many redrawn. He was working on the last plate (on Flycatchers) the day he died.

This remains probably the best Field guide for beginner to intermediate birders in the eastern US (and Canada). The illustrations and the helpfull arrows (the "Peterson System") pointing out essential ID points. His verbal descriptions often bring the birds to life, such as his now famous decriptions of Sanderlings and Swifts, and the verbal descriptions of bird songs and calls remain the best of any guide. This remains one of my favourtie Field Guides and is often the one that accompanies me out in the field. The National Geographic Guide may be a slightly more suitable choice for the advanced birder, though birders of all levels would be delighted with this guide.

A welcome change in this edition is the addition of small "thumbnail" maps on the opposite page to the illustration thus removing one of the main criticisms of previous editions. The larger maps remain in the back, still done by Mrs Peterson with help form Paul Lehman. One negative is the slight increase in size (the pages are a little bigger) making the book slightly less pocketable.

Overall an excellent Field guide, which while not reaching the exaltred heights recently set by Mullarney et al in their superb European guide, is the final effort by the man who essentially started it all.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best of the field guides, Nov 19 2002
By 
Jeffrey R. Copeland (Red Bank, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America (Paperback)
The 5th edition of Peterson's field guide is an improvement over previous edtions. The maps are included in the front with the birds now, in addtion to having a separate more detailed map in the back of the guide.
These range maps are the best of all current guides because the details are easiest to see because their so big.
Sibly's is great also but because of it's size(the guide itself) I wouldn't recommend it for the field, more as a reference for back home.
So if your going to own just one field guide the 5th edtion Peterson's is the best all around guide out there.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The field guide that started it all, Feb 14 2003
By 
N. Anich (Ashland, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America (Paperback)
If you're getting into birding, or want a good field guide to see what birds are at your cabin or in your yard, this is it.

It's got the bird listed opposite from the description and has arrows to show field marks of a species. New in the 5th edition are:

Maps on the same page as the description (maps improved too!)
The description mentions how common the bird is in the east.
The area covered doesn't take a sharp turn and leave out the tip of texas

If you're getting more into birding I'd highly recommend David Sibley's guide, it has many more views and plumages of each bird, but is a bit large to take in the field.

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