National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Colorado

by Jonathan Alderfer

Designed to fit in a backpack or pocket for easy access, each of these handy and popular bird field guides comprises 272 pages and features about 175 birds organized by family as approved by the American Ornithological Union. Standard features

Locator Map at the front listing regional birding hotspots;
Introduction by an expert on where to find the state's top birds
How-To-Use Section with general tips on birding and advice on making the most of the guide;
125 Easy-Access Individual Entries providing a photograph of the bird in its habitat, recognition clues, specific details on behavior, habitat, and local sites, plus a special "Field Note" with artwork for extra help in tricky identifications;
Alphabetical Index with life list; and
Color-coded Index.

Colorado is a unique birding spot, with mountain terrain and flatlands, each with its own characteristic mix of birds. Noted species include the grouselike White Ptarmigan; the incomparable Golden Eagle; the American Dipper; the Eared Grebe, and the chestnut-colored Longspur.

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2006

About the author

Jonathan K. Alderfer is an art consultant and a bird artist whose illustrations appear in National Geographic field guides. He began his career as a painter in the 1980s as an illustrator of articles for The Western Tanager, the Los Angeles Audubon Society's newsletter.
Jonathan is an avid, expert birder.

Reviews

[ccoelophysis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an exhaustive overview of Colorado's birds, but it is handy and small enough to tuck in my purse to have with me wherever I go. I wish it contained a few more species, although the information about the species it does have is fine. Could use a few more photos. When the female coloring varies greatly from the male coloring this would be especially useful, but as it is the guide only tells you whether the one photo included is male, female, or juvenile.

[Louise Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photographs in this book are amazing. Very good for identification.

The size of the book is small, so the habitat and behavioral information is not complete. But this is the best pocket-sized bird ID book I've read.