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| Birds of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides, Flexicover Edition) | 
| Creators: Kenn Kaufman, Lynn Hassler Kaufman, Rick Bowers, Nora Bowers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Category: Book
List Price: $22.00
Buy New: $5.86
You Save: $16.14 (73%)
New (11) from $5.86
Avg. Customer Rating:  53 reviews
Sales Rank: 568146
Media: Paperback
Edition: Flexicover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.7 x 0.9
ISBN: 0618132198
Dewey Decimal Number: 598.097
EAN: 9780618132195
ASIN: 0618132198
Publication Date: April 15, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
World-renowned birder Kenn Kaufman addresses a long-running paradox of bird field guides with his Focus Guide. While beginning birdwatchers prefer photographic guides like those by Donald Stokes, the physical traits that make identification easier are more readily discerned in the idealized paintings of illustrative guides like those by Roger Tory Peterson and National Geographic. Kaufman's groundbreaking work combines the best of both approaches by digitally enhancing photographic images to show the characteristics that are sometimes not apparent in photographs. Some other distinguishing features include: - The guide is organized by bird family groupings rather than strict taxonomic classification; this is a feature that will appeal especially to beginners.
- Text descriptions and range maps for each species appear on the page facing the plate of respective bird images.
- Important field marks are highlighted.
- Color-coded tabs identify each grouping of birds (waders, warblers, sparrows, etc.) for quick thumb indexing.
Kaufman's efforts follow the auspicious tradition of Roger Tory Peterson, whose portable field guide system was the first of its kind to meet the needs of the average birdwatcher. "It's the guide I've always wanted," says Kaufman, "and I suspect most birders will feel the same way."
Product Description
Beginner or expert, every birder needs a field guide that is accurate, readable, and easy to use. Birds of North America is a back-to-basics guide produced by one of the foremost birding experts, with a clear and direct approach to recognizing every North American bird. Kenn Kaufman's innovative technique of combining the best features of photographs and paintings results in the most accurate and helpful images ever to appear in any field guide. The photographs, by some of North America's top nature photographers, are digitally enhanced to illustrate the field marks necessary for quick and easy identification. New hardcover and flexible bindings make this indispensable guide even more durable for hard use in the field.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 48 more reviews...
 Good for beginners August 22, 2008
Kaufman's Field Guide to Birds is a great tool for the beginner. The book is simple and straight-forward, with helpful colored 'tabs' for families, making it easier for the birder unfamilier with taxonomic order to find a species quicker. However, as one gains experience they will want to 'graduate' to Sibley's Guide to Birds since it is more thorough and contains more insight on fall and immature plumage differences, in-flight silhouettes as well as other details that the beginner might not appreciate but greatly aid in more advanced bird identification.
 Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of N. America August 2, 2008
This is a great book with easy to look up information plus numerous pictures of each bird. It's small size makes it easy to carry along with you.
Great as a second field guide July 7, 2008
I love the Peterson field guide and thats the one I always bring out into the field. That being said, the Kaufman is a great guide I'll bring in addition to the Peterson. Sibley is great also but the large book is better as a home reference. The field Sibley is too think for my liking too. I hadn't found a photo field guide I liked until the Kaufman. All of the colors are accurate and I like how the birds are grouped together. My only complaint is that the arrows that point out differences between the sexes and important identifying marks aren't always the best. For example, the Kaufman guide only points out that Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers have white outer tail feathers. It doesn't point out that the male gnatcather has a black line above his eyes. And the photo doesn't really accentuate the line either. The Peterson guide clearly has this distinguishing mark and its pointed out on the photo. The description in the Kaufman guide does say that there is this black "eyebrow" line on the males but a beginning birder may easily miss this. I do like that with photos, the proportions of the birds won't be slightly distorted like they can be in illustrations. Overall this is a great guide but shouldn't be the only guide you bring into the field. Especially for beginners, an illustrated guide will have more identifying marks pointed out.
We Love This Bird Book July 3, 2008
We have gifted Ken Kaufman's Field Guide to Birds of North America to almost everyone we know. It is perfect for a newbie, casual birder and even the most seasoned bird watcher. This field guide was originally introduced to us by way of our daughter's professor. Text book? NOT! This book will be one of your classics.
Some don't like the guide,, I Love it April 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I grew up with the Peterson guides and I know many don't like the idea of photgraphs in a guide book, but i love it..The complaint is that photo's can make the natural coloring look different in shade,etc,, but I have not found this to be a major issue with these enhanced pics.. The photos are color enhanced and actually do have the "painted coloring look" rather than a plain stock dull photograph. I can only imagine rare times that this would cause any real issue, but to each their own.. In regard to the book, I LOVE the flex cover..My old peterson held up well, but the flex cover is 100 times better for durablity. The bird habitat map system is great and easy too read. The short narratives through out the book are interesting and infromative. I love the back page, "quick index", which is arranged alphabetically so you can quickly go directly to the needed page to better identify the exact bird. I also like how he has used small "indicator arrows" on the pictures which directs the reader to some distinct item of note regarding the bird which helps to identify it or differentiate it from a close match.(this has helped me a few times with similar looking birds)
Another nice thing as a field guide,The paper is very durable as I learned when my canteen leaked onto the top portion of the book. I was fearful as I opened the book, expecting the worst, even though every page on the top section of the book got a bit rumpled from the water there was NO,NONE, NODA, smudging or running or ink smears on the page and no pages were stuck together even though it had dried out. Not many field guides can take that and come out that well. It is also the perfect size as a carry full time field guide.
Though I can only compare it to my 20 year old Peterson I must say I am quite happy with it as a casual birder..
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