National Wildlife Federation Field Guide: Birds of North America

When I look at a field guide, there are three things that I want to see. First of all, photos. Good photos! Second of all, well-organized information that's quick to read and easy to understand. And lastly, I want a MAP that clearly shows the species' range. I don't have a lot of patience to decipher what "East of the Appalachians, and north to Ontario" means to me in Central Illinois. So, because I am recommending these beautiful field guides to you, you can safely assume that they meet these three qualifications (with the exception of Insects & Spiders, which does not have range maps). Each guide is approximately 500 pages in length and features a waterproof cover. Inside, each devotes about 50 pages to introductory material, and after that, species are organized according to their characteristics. Trees are grouped by their leaf types while birds are grouped by type and insects are grouped by order. The format varies a bit by topic. Trees typically has one to two entries per page, each with several full-color photos (focusing on different parts of the tree), and information on the height, diameter, appearance, habitat, notes, and a description of the leaves. In Birds, there are about two entries per page, each with at least two photos (of adult and juvenile or male and female), information on the length, wingspan, diet, habitat, and call. Range maps show the distribution of the species throughout the year with different colors representing different seasons. Insects has about three entries per page, each including one or two photos, and information on appearance of the young and adult forms, adult size and range. Portable, easy-to-use, and with a great format, these are my new favorite field guides! - Jess