The Shorebird Guide

If you are searching for a way to improve your birding skills regarding shorebirds, then this may be the guide for you. I have been spending a lot of time at the beach, trying to identify shorebirds and build my skills. I have a Peterson's Guide, which is the best basic guide out there and indispensable because it points out (with arrows) the identifying characteristics of the birds you see. But it is basic and there are a lot of cases where I just am not sure, e.g. is that a Western Sandpiper or Semipalmated Sandpiper?The Shorebird Guide includes excellent photographs, e.g. a dozen for each species, and the photos not only include the target species but also show that bird in relation to other shorebirds with which it may be seen. This is invaluable for getting a better feel for relative sizes and detailed markings which can be used to distinguish a species.The plates are in the beginning section of the guide. Each set of plates starts with a broad description of the species including: size; structure; behavior; and status. A range map is also included. Then, you have about a dozen pictures with captions that include points you should note in identifying the bird. The birds are generally shown both in basic and alternate (breeding) plumages, which is a huge asset.The second section of the book includes details about each species. I do wish (like a lot of other readers) that the detailed descriptions were included/interspersed with the photographs so you would have all the information about a bird in one location. The details are good, though, and include: Status; Taxonomy; Behavior; Migration; Molt; and Vocalizations. It is worth noting that the behavior section does include some of the information, like head bobbing or tail wagging, that makes the Peterson Guide so essential (unlike some guides which fail to note characteristic identifying behavior). So, for example, for the Solitary Sandpiper, the behavior section includes information about the characteristic head bobbing.Please note that not all birds you see at the shore will be included, and the guide focuses on birds seen mostly in North America. The birds included are: Lapwings & Plovers; Oystercatchers; Stilts & Avocets; Sandpipers, Phalaropes, & their Allies; and rarities of those families mentioned. I use a guide to Seawatching for similar details on Gulls, Terns, Jaegers, Kittiwakes, and other pelagic species (the guide uses photographs with detailed descriptions very similar to this book, but for pelagic birds, and has the detailed descriptions alongside the photos). I consider my three guides: Peterson's Guide to North American Birds; The Shorebird Guide; and the Seawatching Guide to be a complete and necessary set if you are serious about identifying birds at the shore.I still consider the Peterson's Guide my primary reference, however, I have to admit that there are birds I would not have been able to accurately identify without the help of The Shorebird Guide (or the Seawatching Guide for Gulls/Terns/etc).If you are serious about birding at the shore, this is a "must have" guide.

It's too bad that other birds aren't described with as much detail and clarity.The book is superb for a few reasons.1) Range of photos. If you read the introduction, the point of the book is to help you learn how to identify a shorebird even if you can't identify the primaries, secondaries, etc. They teach you "GISS" -- general impression of shape and size. While this is obviously done by most birders when they see a curlew sitting next to a plover, how many can pick out different species of plovers in sillouette? Some photos are "blurry" or shadowy on purpose. Sometimes the best you can do is to see a flock of birds far off in the distance. Does that mean you should give up? No!2) Range of plumages. The ability to compare birds in this book is truly its asset. Think about the range of plumages a shorebird could have, and imagine how Sibley or Stokes would incorporate all of the different plumages effectively into a field guide. They can't. Molting details have to be left out for space reasons. This book shows many different molts and covers different races of birds. One of the best pages is a comparison between each stage of plumage between Eastern and Western Willets on the same page. PERFECT.3) Follow-up. The book has many photos with a question in the caption. "Are all of the Oystercatchers adults?" "What bird is in the background?" Effectively picking out birds is half the battle, and I really appreciate the drills to lock these details into my mind. The answers (with an explanation) are in the back so that you can know if you are right or not. No field guide helps to educate you in such an explicit way.4) Flow. The book is not inundating you with information like many Peterson guides do. After all, you aren't an expert, (you're looking to become one!). I like to look at the pictures, see what I notice, then read the captions... take a look at some of the other photos... compare... do the "Where's Waldo" thing... You get the idea. The point is that I don't have to imagine the bird using 10 pages of description and one small plate. After birding for almost 20 years, this is the first book that has really made me take a look at primaries and secondaries in isolation, because the photos are stunning and the descriptions are more than helpful.This is the kind of book that you will want to leave on the coffee table but also want to carry with you in the field. Not many books can accomplish that.I just wish they did this for warblers, gulls, hawks, sparrows..... !Word to the wise: Before buying any book, see if you can find a preview, either via amazon or google books. Check the index for birds you want so you don't buy this for a range it doesn't cover. After looking at the book online, I was positive I wanted this one. It's even more stunning in person.Best book purchase I've made since the Sibley Guide 11 years ago.

This book came highly recommended when I began volunteering for Audubon. It's the only one I've found so far with photos of the same species showing multiple variation across age, sex, and season, while also showcasing photos with multi-species groups to demonstrate differences and teach how to better identify birds. When I'm looking at a large group of birds made up of Snowy Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, and multiple sandpiper type birds, and they are speeding across the sand following the waves, it's difficult to sort out what I'm looking at. But this book points out how to identify birds under these types of circumstances - size, beak shape, wingtip color... I love Audubon, but their guides are a little like coffee-table books, while this is almost like a "Shorebirds for Idiots" guide.

Liked the photos that show the progression of plumages from juvenile to adult. Most of the photos are excellent, some are head scratching IMO. Some are designed to be quizzes and are challenging. I hoped for some side to side comparisons of difficult to separate species. Overall a good addition to a birder’s library.

Excellent Guide aux illustrations nombreuses d'oiseaux en différentes phases; très bien conçu.

Mir gefallen die Vielfalt und Qualität der Fotos, das Eingehen auf die Wichtigkeit des Jizz zumindest für die vorläufige Artbestimmung und der Umstand, dass immer wieder Fotos mit mehreren Arten drauf gezeigt werden. Wirklich ein tolles Buch für Limikolenfreunde, aber auch für Freunde schöner Fotos.

Sono soddisfatta dell'acquisto, è una guida completa e dettagliata con molte foto utili per il riconoscimento delle specie in ogni periodo dell'anno. Lo consiglio vivamente.

Very good Photographs of the birds covered.The Book gives details of where the birds can be found IN AMERICA. This book refers to birds which are not native to America as "Old World " birds. The Shorebird Guide does not include any Seagulls !!! The copy I received dates from September 2007, but the binding and pages are in excellent condition , probably due to the good quality strong binding. As none of the birds have changed their names since 2007 , I feel that the text is not at all out of date.

シギチの仲間は識別が難しいです。国内の写真図鑑やイラスト図鑑だけでは、幼鳥、換羽中、冬羽、夏羽などが判別しにくいことが多いですが、本書はいろんな角度からいろんな個体を撮影されていて、画像が兎に角豊富です。図鑑としても良いですが、写真集としても楽しめる本です。コストパフォーマンスも優れていますので、野鳥が好きなかたや野鳥撮影が好きな方も、多くの方々が満足する一冊だと思います。