What's a good bird book?..................

I'm still using an old Peterson Field Guide "Eastern Birds". While it does the job ok, I can't help but think there are some new and improved models out there? I'm mainly looking for eastern birds as I doubt I'll get out west anytime soon. I prefer good color pics and detailed maps. Any ideas? Thanks! :)

Have you tried Dave Sibley's? He has a nice range of titles and his are clear and informative.

I'm ashamed to say I've never even heard of Dave Sibley? *embarrassed* I got to thinking about it last night when I tried to ID a couple of birds I saw at the lake. While I can come close I'm not positive enough to add them to my list. So I'm shopping around for a new and improved book. :)

I bought the SIBLEY Guide to Birds last year and it took a little getting used to. At first I couldn't find anything I was trying to ID. But I am getting better now as I become more familiar with the different species...Thanks to all the great pics here on Dave's!

We have the large Sibley Guide to Birds and his Field Guide to Eastern Birds. Dave is an artist and his pictures of birds are very clear and easy to compare to other similar species. The large Guide to Birds is too cumbersome for much fieldwork although it's good to carry in the car.

We have some of Dave's prints, too. We know him from when he used to live nearby. He's a fantastic birder with a very methodical mind, which makes his books quite useful.

Thamks ya'll, I'll check them out! :)

MY favorite is National Wildlife Federation, "Field Guide to Birds of North America" by Edward S. Brinkley. It has photos instead of drawings, and sometimes several of a species. I never did like a guide with sketches.

This book retails for $19.95, but I got it new on eBay for just over $12.

Thanks tigerlily! I prefer photos as well. I don't mind paying a price for anything as long as it's worth it. :)

I perfer photos too...may check that one out! I think drawings do hinder me alot!!

I like to have both. I once saw a male northern harrier and the drawings didn't do it justice at all, whereas Audubon's photos made the i.d. much more obvious. But at other times it works the opposite way for me. So I have the Audubon Society's and Stokes's guides with photos, Ken Kaufman's in which he uses somewhat retouched photos which make the field marks clearer, and Peterson and Sibley with the drawings.

I like having both too. I have Sibley's Eastern Guide, National Geographic Birds of North America, Stokes Eastern Guide and just recently bought a great book on

shorebirds, Michael O'Briens "The Shorebird Guide". It has gorgeous photos in it and tons of information.

I also have National Audubon eastern guide but I don't find it very user friendly with the pics in the first half of the book and the information about each bird in the second half.

I've seen Ken Kaufman's guide, it looks nice!