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Retail Price: $18.95
Deal Price: $12.89
Savings: $ 6.06 ( 32% )
Stock: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
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Average Evaluation:  
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Binding: Turtleback
Dewey Decimal Number: 598.097
EAN: 9780618574230
ISBN: 0618574239
Label: Houghton Mifflin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 392
Publication Date: 2005-04-14
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Studio: Houghton Mifflin
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Editorial Reviews:
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In 2000 Houghton Mifflin first published the Kaufman Focus Guide to the Birds of North America. Critically acclaimed for its innovative design, the Kaufman guide began introducing a new generation to birding. In 2005, this new Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America is now the most up-to-date field guide, including dozens of changes by the American Ornithologists' Union in official names of birds; the addition of new species to reflect the latest scientific discoveries; and dozens of updated range maps. Additional information helps beginning birdwatchers get started, all in the same compact format that has made this guide the easiest to use for fast identification in the field.
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Reviews :
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Evaluation:
Conclusion: Birds in he Northeast
Review: This is a good book to have in the house. Finding various birds is always fast and easy.
Evaluation: 
Conclusion: Sensible, Easy to use, and Underrated.
Review: I think a lot of birdwatchers will pass up on this guide because it lacks the aesthetic charm of Peterson and the comprehensiveness of Sibley. This is unfortunate. Kaufman has trimmed away the fat of the modern field guide and produced a surprisingly spare volume geared primarily for field identification.
The photographic rendering is unique. Its overall design is reminiscent of Peterson. It's simplicity and size belies its actual sophistication. Indeed, a book like this one complements, not replaces, its larger, illustrated cousins. Maybe only Golden's Birds of North America attempts this kind of coverage while also fitting comfortably in a jacket pocket.
There's no question the book was intended for beginners, but I can't help feel that this is the first of a new generation of field guides. It reasserts the field guide in its proper domain and skillfully leverages newer digital imaging technology. It's utility expresses a lucid understanding of what an observer in the field is trying to accomplish. There is a lot here that creators of other guides could learn from.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Good for beginners
Review: 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.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of N. America
Review: 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.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Great as a second field guide
Review: 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.
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