Montana Best Times: Good Birdwatching Begins with Good Field ID Books (January 2004)

The purpose of this column is to acquaint Montanans interested in birds to the possibilities in birding the Big Sky State. This introductory column is sort of a tried and true start-up method for enjoying birds. In the months to come we will address subjects ranging from bird feeders to bird migration and a wide array of other subjects.

If you go to a library or bookstore, you can be overwhelmed by the number and variety of bird books on the shelves. The first question that comes to mind is, 'Wouldn't it be nice to own all these books?" For most of us with a limited budget it is impossible. So how do you know which bird field ID book is best? And how many bird ID books do you need anyway? If you ask 10 different people, you get 10 different answers.

There are dozens of good bird ID books on the market, but the ones I am about to recommend are based on their accuracy, thoroughness, size, and price. In other words, these books provide the best bang for the buck. I base this judgment on my experience both in Montana and throughout North America.

Cream of the crop books
How many bird books do I need? It depends on how involved you get into birding and your disposable income. It is important to start with the basics. If you could afford only one bird ID book, the one I would recommend is the fourth edition National Geographic "Field Guide to the Birds of North America" (Shirley Scott editor, list price $21.95). This book has been field-tested repeatedly and it is the ideal size, so you can easily place it in your pack or glove box of your vehicle. So if you had to own one bird book, this would be the one to own. Another glowing feature of this book is that it highlights color plates of 800-plus species of birds likely to be encountered in North America - more species than any other field ID book.

If I had to own a second bird ID book, what would it be? Without question the National Audubon Society's "The Sibley Guide to Birds" (list price: $32) by David Sibley. This book has a wealth of information but it is too large and heavy to carry around in the field on a regular basis. I use it more as a reference book than anything else. The highlights of this book include the variety of color plates, which depict different bird plumages, ages, and sexes. Drawbacks of this book are its large size, plates that do not depict true color, range maps that are inaccurate and color plates and typed print that are extremely small and difficult to read in low light. But by and large it is an excellent book to have in anyone's library, whether that be big or small.

For a third ID book, I recommend owning "Birds of North America" (list price: $22) by Kenn Kaufman. This book is small, loaded with information, easy to carry in the field and highlighted with actual photographs, rather than drawings. It provides a more simple approach to looking at birds by placing look-alike species together and pointing out only the key features of each bird. This book is excellent and is highly overlooked in my opinion.

Book use advice
When I travel in my vehicle to go birding, I normally carry all three books with me. To keep them organized and from being ruined from abuse, I put all three of them in a nylon Parajo Field Bag that can be purchased from most local bird stores, birding catalogs, or over the Internet. Try to get in the habit of buying locally if you can help it.

Would it be wise to purchase one copy for your home and one for your vehicle? The answer is not really. The reason: Bird ID books are constantly changing, as are bird names. The American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) annually releases changes in either English or scientific names or the order in which birds are arranged. For the large publishers of bird books, this is a financial bonanza. For example, the Rock Dove is now called the Rock Pigeon, and the Three-toed Woodpecker is now called the American Three-toed Woodpecker. The smartest thing to do is to make these changes by writing in your existing book, and wait until you just can't take it anymore and finally buy a recent edition. Please do not get caught in the trap of buying a new bird book when it comes out with a new cover. This is a gimmick - the title stays the same and the content has changed little.

Now that you are lined up with bird books, it is time to either go out in the field and watch birds or watch birds on the feeder from the window of your home. Bird feeders will be the feature topic of the February issue of the Big Sky Birding column.

Enjoy! And the Best of Big Sky Birding to you!