The New Stokes Field Guide To Birds: Eastern Region Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The culmination of many years of research, observation, and study, the THE NEW STOKES FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS: Eastern Region is factually, visually, and organizationally superior to any other photographic field guide available. This easy-to-use guide features 545 North American bird species and more than 2,000 stunning color photographs. And yet it's portable enough to fit in your pocket! The photographs cover all significant plumages, including male, female, summer, winter, immature, morphs, important subspecies, and birds in flight. The guide includes:* the newest scientific and common names and phylogenetic order* special help for identifying birds in flight through important clues of behavior, plumage, and shape* detailed descriptions of songs and calls* important behavioral information and key habitat preferences* the newest range maps, detailing species' winter, summer, year-round ranges, and migration routes Whether you are a novice or experienced birder, this new Stokes guide will take your birding to the next level.
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (March 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316213934
ISBN-13: 978-0316213936
Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #90,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #127 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Birds & Birdwatching #478 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Fauna #889 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation
In 2010 the Stokes published "The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America". This legendary book has set the standards for complete field guides. The key characteristics of this book are1. Outstanding photos showing birds in many different plumages and poses2. A thorough description of shape, which is often a key to identification3. Identification tips for groups of birds4. Dates of plumage changes5. Inclusion of sub-species6. A thorough compilation of the birds, even the raritiesUnfortunately, by making this book so complete, it is too large to conveniently carry in the field. Thus, the genesis of the two new books - an eastern version and a western version.The Stokes have drawn the geographic line through popular birding states such as North Dakota, Kansas, and Texas, and have often included the birds found in those states in both books which makes both the eastern and western versions more complete.Happily, these two volumes have kept the great parts of the first book. To make it more portable, the Stokes have simply removed the very rare birds, and also the birds that don't appear in either half of the country. The result is a great pair of field guides that people of all skill and knowledge levels can enjoy. While still a little large for some pants pockets, they will fit into most vest pockets.Bottom line - buy them!Karl Werner
The new Stokes Field Guides combine stunning photography with important notes to aid in identification. Unlike other guides which rely on one or two photographs per bird, the Stokes have included up to eleven photos (for those pesky gulls!) so that birders can easily see important variations in plumage for each species. At only 8.5" x 5.5", this book packs easily. The Eastern Guide, along with the Western Guide are must-haves for any birder. Thanks, Lillian and Don!
Having used this book regularly for a few years, I would like to amend my review by making an even stronger recommendation. For decades, birders have debated whether a field guide should be based on artwork (e.g., Peterson, Sibley)or photography (e.g., the old Audubon series, and now Stokes). That debate is now over, and both sides win. Until the new Stokes guides were published, starting in 2010, paintings were always superior to photographs because they emphasized the essential features for identifying the birds. But Don and Lillian Stokes have elevated the quality of the photography and reproduction (plus excellent descriptions) to a level that makes their books very competitive. The advantage is that the photos show what the bird actually looks like, not a stylized representation. For the past two years, I have gone out regularly with the Sibley app on my phone and Stokes in my pocket. It's a great combination, so why choose only one?And here is my original review:The new Stokes regional guides are a must. I have been using Sibley ever since his guides came out, and I will continue to do so - alongside these new books. Sibley uses paintings to highlight each bird's key features, which is a very useful technique pioneered decades ago by Roger Tory Peterson. But paintings do not show what a bird actually looks like, and that is where the Stokes guides excel. They use very clear and representative photos--several for each species--so that you can compare what you're seeing in the field with what the species looks like. Subtle differences in shape or color become clear. If you can carry two field guides, make this one of them. If you're only going to carry one, then you'll probably continue to use Sibley, but the Stokes guides (either the new regional ones or the larger book that covers all of North America) will still be very useful to have at home for post-trip verifications.
I have used the first edition (1996) for some time and like it very much. Purchased this latest edition as a gift for my daughter. Although it contains a lot more information than the 1st edition, we found it to be harder to use -- harder to locate the pages you want to see and much harder to find the information you want on the pages for individual species. The layout/formating of these pages doesn't seem logical and it is time consuming to wade through it all to find the details you want. The older editions with nice clean page formating would get a 5-star rating.
I love the portability and organization of this book as well as the pictures of the different plumages.Each bird gets at least four different photographs. Others, like the troublesome Red-tail Hawk gets eleven shots! I like the idea of including the state and the month where the picture was taken; if I see a juvenile Western Sandpiper in September it looks like this.You can guess what book I am taking for spring and fall migration trips.
Love the NEW Field Guide, carry it with me all the time for reference purposes. Great photographs and descriptions of birds illustrating seasonal and age transitions. As a Wildlife Interpreter I find it especially helpful when educating the public at J. N. Ding Darling USFW refuge Sanibel, Florida. For example, I'll point out a bird to a visitor, often they'll proclaim that's not what that bird looks like; that's when I use Stokes' guide to educate folks as to what the bird looks like in different seasons and at different growth stages such as first-year juvenile verses adult male Osprey. Nice.
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds: Eastern Region (Stokes Field Guide Series) The New Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region, Revised Edition Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Eastern Region Book Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America, 6th Edition (Peterson Field Guides) A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides) National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Region Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region: Timber Press Field Guide (A Timber Press Field Guide) Greater Middle East Region: Including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and Turkey (Hammond Greater Middle East Region Map) National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees--W: Western Region (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback)) Birds of Lake Pond & Marsh: Water and Wetland Birds of Eastern North America The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America: Second Edition A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guides) Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition (Peterson Field Guides) A Field Guide to the MOTHS of Eastern North America (Peterson Field Guides) Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, Third Edition (Peterson Field Guides) A Field Guide to Eastern Forests: North America (Peterson Field Guides) The Wild Game Birds Manual: A Guide To Raising, Feeding, Care, Diseases And Breeding Game Birds (Pet Birds) (Volume 4) American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New Jersey (American Birding Association State Field)
