Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118884 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-10
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From Booklist
This tidy little book provides a nice introduction. Sparrows, those "little brown jobs," have always presented an identification challenge for birders. Earley describes the 26 species of eastern sparrows (along with the much easier to recognize finches). One way to distinguish sparrows is by their throat patterns, which are illustrated in a box on the upper left of each account. Well-chosen clear photographs accompany each species and will be of great assistance in distinguishing among the species. This book also covers western vagrant species and has a useful "cheat sheet" and comparison photos. This terrific primer will be welcomed in all eastern libraries. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Donald S. Heintzelman, International Hawkwatcher 06/2005
When identification of some of these birds becomes especially vexing. This book can help... 220 excellent color photographs.

Review
Well-done, birder-friendly guides that fit easily into any field pack and are recommended for both beginning and advanced birders. (W.H. Gross BirdWatcher's Digest 200409)

When identification of some of these birds becomes especially vexing. This book can help... 220 excellent color photographs. (Donald S. Heintzelman International Hawkwatcher 200506)

Concise and well-written... an excellent reference work and field guide. (William H. Adams Science Books and Films 20031214)

Makes identifying these remarkable and diverse families of birds as easy as possible. (Princeton Times of Trenton 2004)

The author... is a naturalist/teacher who clearly knows how to present bird-identification information in an organized, attractive, and educational format. (Charles Leck American Reference Books Annual, Volume 35 200309)

Lovely books ... range maps are the first I've seen ... that fully delineate both breeding range and wintering range. (George Bryant Toronto Ornithological Club 20030521)

Essential field guide... features 40 species detailing their similarities and subtle differences and including valuable 'nature notes' with most entries. (Essex Free Press 20030701)

These tidy little books provide nice introductions ... well chosen clear photographs accompany each species ... terrific primer. (Nancy Bent Booklist 200309)

Colorful photographic guides... delightful companions for beginning birders in eastern North America. (Diane C. Schmidt E-Streams 20031015)

The most comprehensive information on several targeted species, packed in a colorful, convenient format. (Bird Times 200307)

Highly illustrated with exquisite color photographs in a natural setting... a welcome addition to my library. (Bill Carney New Hampshire Wildlife 20031029)

Detailed descriptions that point out the unique qualities of each bird as well as full-color photos... accessible, portable and affordable. (Jim Williams Minneapolis Star Tribune )

Intended to help birders... they generally succeed, accurately portraying sexual and seasonal differences in plumage. (Charles F. Thompson Ibis )

Excellent information, more than 200 quality color photographs and delightful prose make these must-have guides. (David Bird Montreal Gazette )

Customer Reviews

A great book for beginning birders
For the beginning birder, the identification of Sparrows (in particular) and Finches can be a trying experience due to their similarity in appearance. This guide attempts to simplify the process for those in the eastern region of North America. Naturally, for the beginner, reems of scientific information is out of the question; what is need is key information and clear, detailed photographs in order to gain familiarity. And that's what this guide provides. There's no two ways about it, this is an excellent resource for the beginning birder.