Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America [Paperback]

This guide is a combination of the previously separate Eastern and Western Peterson guides. The look and feel of this guide will be immediately familiar to any users of past editions, especially the latest Eastern. However, every aspect of the book, even the art, has been enhanced and updated. Here is a brief summary of the changes.

The book's size is the first change that will be noticed. It is now probably too large to carry into the field. However, the increased size means that the plates are less crowded, and the art can be reproduced in a larger size. This allows the art to be better appreciated and studied.

Unless you are extremely familiar with Peterson's art, you won't notice many changes on the plates. But there have in fact been many. The most extensive changes have been in the form of digital enhancements to Peterson's art. These are touch-ups and corrections to make the bird on the page look more like the bird in the field. Thankfully, these enhancements have been artfully done, and do not stand out. In virtually every case they have indeed improved the image of every species that I'm familiar with.

There are also entirely new paintings, contributed by Michael O'Brien. Some, like the Himalayan Snowcock, are new species that have never before been included in a Peterson guide. But some previously included birds have been completely replaced by new paintings. These have been done in Peterson's style and some are very difficult to pick out. However, many are fairly obvious. They are not bad by any means, just different, and that difference can be jarring.

Like the art, the text has also been extensively enhanced and updated. For the most part, this consists of editorial changes such as word usage. But there are some significant changes, such as new field marks.

Likewise, the maps are entirely new. They are done in the same format as the previous Eastern edition, but the data they are based on is up-to-date, and supplied by the foremost expert in North American bird distribution. There is an entire section of large range maps in the back of the guide, and each species account includes a small thumbnail map. The thumbnails are much larger, and infinitely more usable, than those included in the Eastern regional guide.

As with the previous reviewer, I feel that although this is a good field guide, it does not reach the mark set by other recent guides. However, I still recommend it because Peterson's art has never looked better in a field guide. The art here looks a little better than in the latest Eastern edition, due to the increased size. Compared to the Western guide, however, it is a revelation. The same paintings in the Western guide are dull and soft. But here they are vibrant, and you can see more of the fine detail.

As a reference, this guide is superior to the previous Peterson regional guides, yet not quite as good as some other North American guides. But for me, the showcasing of Peterson's art makes up for this, and makes it well worth having.

My 5-star rating is based entirely on sentiment for Roger Tory Peterson and what his work means to all nature enthusiasts in the US today. Like countless other birders I grew up with an abiding interest in the avian life around me informed almost entirely by RTP's field guides starting with the 1947 Second Edition (still on my library shelf). This new volume almost certainly will be the last published that reproduces King Penguin's incredible art in field guide format, given that it combines birds from both the Eastern and Western guides for the first time, brings taxonomy up to the most recent level, and finally adopts the most up-to-date species order. But this is the ultimate Peterson, perhaps in the most poignant sense, because this volume celebrates the centennial of Peterson's birth, right down to the date it was to be released (but I still thank Amazon for shipping it a month early). In my humble opinion, anyone and everyone who likes birds even a little bit needs to own this book.

Now I do have a few points to make that are directed at the book's value as a field guide in 2008, and my opinion here is that a rating of 4-stars (or perhaps even 3) is more appropriate. The "trim size" is indeed larger than previous, by about an inch on a side, bringing the height to just one-half inch less than the Sibley Guide (regularly criticized as too large to carry in the field). The art is less crowded for sure, but portability suffers. The paintings are for the most part the exact same as earlier editions, with frequent rearrangements (digitally performed) to account for the East/West combination and taxonomy modifications. New paintings by Michael O'Brien are inserted and are virtually indistinguishable from RTP's own work - a very high compliment to Mr. O'Brien, if you ask me. But quite a few species are no longer illustrated at all - they were previously depicted on plates in the back of either guide labeled "accidentals", "vagrants', or "strays". While these birds are highly unlikely to be seen by the average observer, their inclusion was a sign of thoroughness which is now missing. I had hoped for a major revision in the art of those species shown only by a "head shot", but I am completely disappointed here, as the owls are still mostly missing their beautiful body plumage and gulls and terns still don't stand on pilings or the beach to display their mantles and tails. I haven't yet tried the podcasts, but I'm sure they will be informative, and are certainly a novel inclusion in a field guide.

In conclusion this is a terrific book for one's birding library, but I'm not at all sure that I will be taking the new Peterson to the field with me, as I always did the old ones before the National Geographic Guide came out years ago. Even the more recent photographic guides (National Wildlife Federation last year and Smithsonian this year) are more likely to be carried due to their more compact size. But to be completely honest I have studied the Peterson paintings so often and for so long that the images are permanently recorded in my memory, meaning I really don't need to carry any printed version of them - and what higher praise or better endorsement can I give but that?

I have deep respect for the life and achievements of Roger Tory Peterson. His impact on ornithology, ecology, avian medicine, wildlife art and birdwatching have often been underestimated.

The latest edition of the guide melds East and West and does a great deal to upgrade coverage of Western species through enlarged maps and improved digital renderings.

My problem with the Peterson series has been occasionally inaccurate renderings of some common common species -- the Barred Owl is one example -- which might cause a novice to misidentify an individual in the field.

Many bird enthusiasts purchase and use a variety of field guides because each has its strengths and liabilities. Sibley is the strongest on artistic renderings. Peterson is the best for species differentiation. Smithsonian's excels because of its bird-call DVD. For anyone who wants an all-in-one, National Geographic's Fifth Edition is probably a best bet.

As for the podcast benefits advertised on the cover -- they are continually available to bird-lovers on the net at Roger Tory Peterson Institute's site without a book purchase.

One of te best perks of purchasing this book is a free, one-year membership in The Roger Tory Institute in Jamestown, New York.

I purchased this volume as a tribute to the series and because so many of the renderings of species are excellent. I also appreciate the fact that all maps have been enlarged so that old people like me can see them.

Production values for the book are superb, without question the best field-guide binding available in print. While the paper stock has some annoying opacity, it really doesn't get in the way.

Diurnal raptor fans should look elsewhere -- Brian Wheeler's guides are a good choice. Owl fans should reach for Lynch or Johnsgard.

More than worth the price for its editorial strength and production values.

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