User blog:StaraptorEmpoleon/Review:The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America


 * Title: The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America
 * Authors: Donald Stokes and Lilian Stokes
 * Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
 * Publication date: 2010
 * Format: Softcover
 * Page count: 791

Do you like or love to bird? Don't know the difference between Hairy Woodpecker or Downy Woodpecker? Don't know what the mantle is? Well, this is definitely the book for you!

This book is beautiful. I don't even know how to describe it. Most pages have four photographs a page, but some have anywhere from two to six or more.

The types of birds are colour-coded. For example, American sparrows and buntings are dark green. It is colour-coded like Birds of Maharashtra. This is a nice, quick reference! I don't know very many books quite like this.

There is also a quick index on the front flap of the book, e.g., albatross, chickadee, heron, etc.

Pros
 * Quick index in the front flap
 * Many photographs including birds flying or swimming
 * Colour-coded groups of birds
 * Includes some of the vagrants to NA
 * Nice glossary
 * A few mistakes, but not enough to effect the book
 * Includes ABBA birding codes

Cons
 * Heavy, weighs about 3 lbs.
 * Binding might come off
 * For errors, see its article

Rating Many pictures in the book, beautifully presented. Birds are alive and healthy. No captive birds are used.
 * Pictures: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_half_RTL.svg (9½)

Decent descriptions of birds, mostly descriptions but doesn't include many behaviours; however, it includes the bird's voice and what it looks like when it's flying
 * Text: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg (8)

Binding is all right, but it may come off book if the book is looked at too many times (like what I do...)
 * Binding: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg (6)

Glossary is nice, but it doesn't include any gull topography.
 * Glossary: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg (7)

Book has errors, but it doesn't effect the overall book
 * Errors: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg (8)

The overall length is excellent.
 * Length: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg (8)

Book is big and might be cumbersome in the field.
 * Weight: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg (6)

Range maps are nice, but might be hard to see for people that need reading glasses.
 * Range maps: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svgStar_half_RTL.svg (8½)

Though the birds aren't in TiF order, they certainly try their best. The Siberian Rubythroat, Bluethroat, Red-flanked Bluetail, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear are sadly, classed with the thrushes; if they weren't, there would be eight stars.
 * Taxonomy: Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg Star_full.svg  Star_full.svg (7)

This is one of my favourite books. I've flipped through it so many times that the book has (almost) come off the binding and I accidentally spilt Dr Pepper on it...