Finally, a useable book for raptor id
Being a naturalist from the age of seven or so, I have long been a keen observer of birds with particular attention paid to the raptors and soaring birds. All the books I had previously owned or seen about raptors stop far short of giving the info necessary for identifying the hawks and eagles of various ages and genders, as many of them will resemble another breed at various levels of maturity and in different seasons. This book almost eliminates those problems, giving excellent photos and descriptions that enable positive identification provided the observer gets a good enough look at the bird. It also provides useable field id pointers that will eliminate many questions with only a "sketchy" look at a flying or sitting raptor.
A good book that should sit on the front seat of any raptor friend's car; one that will be used time and again in the field.
Soar With the Falcons!
This masterpiece is one of the best field guides for raptors in North America. Readers are treated to several pictures of each type of bird. Raptors are shown perched and in flight, face on and in side view. Readers also see the field markings on the birds which are fully explained in a clear, direct way. A guide to helping readers identify the differences among the raptors is also provided. This is an excellent, outstanding work.
Hawks and Birds of Prey
This is by far the very best book I have ever seen. The photos and details are just Great. I would advise anyone that watchs for these beautiful birds to have this as a guide!!
A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors
This is the best photographic guide to north american raptors available. The photos are very clear so you can see details on plumage. It also includes multiple photos of the species that have morphs, which is very helpful in the field. This is not a book I would recommend if you are using it for written reference. But I give it 5 stars for a field reference guide!
Useful field guide, shows variability of morphs
This is simply the best field guide for North American diurnal raptors that I have seen. Unlike some other photgraphic guides, it provides several images of each species in poses that one is likely to see in the field: perched and soaring from above and the side (showing field marks of top of wing and tail). It shows several examples of different morphs and ages for most birds. This is critical in understanding the variability in markings within a species. In addition, it has a section on field identification problems, detailing differences between similar looking birds. To my knowledge, there is no substitute.However, the paperback version is somewhat cheaply produced. The publisher should improve the binding and the quality of paper for this book. Try not to get it wet.