Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85342 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
You've spotted a cute little ringed plover down by the shore-but wait! Is it a semipalmated plover? A piping plover? A Wilson's plover? Don't panic, says Thompson, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and the author of Bird Watching for Dummies: it's easier than you think. Sections on back color, leg color, bill shape and bill color plus excellent color illustrations by Julie Zickefoose (to whom Thompson is married) will straighten you out in no time. And if "separating long-billed dowitcher from short-billed dowitcher is one of the single most difficult identification problems in North America," at least figuring out the difference between horned grebes and eared grebes is a little easier. In clear, encouraging prose, Thompson addresses dozens of other identification problems, reminding readers that in greater challenge lies greater reward. He also offers readers the "Top 20 Rules of the Bird Identification Game," which include reminders to look at the bird more carefully than the bird book, to take notes and to trust your instincts.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
You've spotted a cute little ringed plover down by the shore-but wait! Is it a semipalmated plover? A piping plover? A Wilson's plover? Don't panic, says Thompson, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and the author of Bird Watching for Dummies: it's easier than you think. Sections on back color, leg color, bill shape and bill color plus excellent color illustrations by Julie Zickefoose (to whom Thompson is married) will straighten you out in no time. And if "separating long-billed dowitcher from short-billed dowitcher is one of the single most difficult identification problems in North America," at least figuring out the difference between horned grebes and eared grebes is a little easier. In clear, encouraging prose, Thompson addresses dozens of other identification problems, reminding readers that in greater challenge lies greater reward. He also offers readers the "Top 20 Rules of the Bird Identification Game," which include reminders to look at the bird more carefully than the bird book, to take notes and to trust your instincts.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
  (Publishers Weekly )

 basic birding guide will help identify many birds, yet there are numerous times when a beginning or intermediate birder needs more assistance-added ornithological detail, comparative comments, and more identification tips-that such a field guide does not have space to provide. That's where this new volume will delight and aid. Drawn from the column of the same name in Bird Watcher's Digest, the book is not intended for the field but as preparation before or a check after field identification. Covering 50 common identification challenges, including waterfowl, wading birds, hawks, gulls, crows, warblers, sparrows, and more, the text also provides plentiful comparative color plates illustrating additional marks, postures, and behaviors. Authored by the editor and staff of Bird Watcher's Digest and illustrated by a noted natural history writer and artist, this is an important resource to add to most public and academic collections. Expect it to fly off the shelf. (Illustrations seen in black and white.)-Nancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.  (Library Journal )

About the Author
Bill Thompson III is the editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest, a bimonthly magazine with 70,000 subscribers. Julie Zickefoose is a widely published natural history writer and bird artist. Bill and Julie live on an eighty-acre nature sanctuary with their two children.

Customer Reviews

A great help for new and seasoned birders
This book came out this summer,but I just found it this week.
It is going to be a great help for all birders,particularly the novice and intermediate.Even those who have been at it for years will find lots of identifying points to help them sort out those birds that are very similar.Whether dealing with sorting out similar sparrow species,similar shorebirds,similar finches,similar blackbirds,etc it is very difficult moving past the obvious birds ,particularly in breeding plumage,and trying to convince yourself that you can differentiate between female Cowbirds and female Brewer's Blackbirds;especially while finding them alone.Here's where this book shines.It takes those similar birds ,that confuse many,and describes the point,s that help tell the difference.
BirdWatcher's Digest has been the most popular 'Bird Magazine for many years ,now having over 70,000 subscribers.One of the best features has been Eirek A.T. Blom,s articles on identification.Along with that Julie Zickefosse's excellent artwork and illustrations have been admired for years.This book takes that wonderful work,by some of the best,that has come out over the years ,and put it all together in one book.It is put together in a manner that makes it a pleasure to read and easy to understand.
I must stress,this is not a typical field guide to all the birds;it is a terrific addition for any one of those guides,to help sort out those similar species that give everyone lots of trouble.If you already have a field guide,this should be the next book to get,I guarantee you will not regret it.
In 1990 Kenn Kaufman wrote a book "Advanced Birding" that was similar to this book ,but was geared to the advanced birder to help sort out the real tough ones .This new book is aimed at those common species that are encountered virtually every day you go birding.
No doubt about it,there has been a long time need for this book and will be very popular with all birders.

Excellent book for Beginner and Intermediate Birders
This is an excellent book for sorting out and identifying those tricky birds that are difficult to distinguish from one another. It is aimed at beginners and intermediates, but still provides helpful points for advanced birders. Julie Zickafoose does an beautiful job at the illustrations, and Bill Thompson clearly outlines the differences between similar species. This is a good book to own if you are having troubles with identifications.

Review of "Identify Yourself" The 50 most common birding ID problems
This book is the first book I have read about birds that tackles the tough job of identfying the really difficult birds. I have been birding over 20 years and this is the first of its kind, I believe. The author, Bill Thompson III, presents those very subtle ID marks that will help even the experienced birder. The sketches by Julie Zickeffoose are remarkable. I highly recommend this book for all serious birders.

Anthony Soule