A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America: A Visual Directory of the Most Popular Backyard Birds - Includes a 2-Year Logbook

by Rob Hume

A beautifully illustrated visual directory of more than 50 of the most popular North American birds with a logbook to record two years of bird-watching discoveries.

Whether you’re just getting started birding or want to build on your existing knowledge, this handbook provides you with all you need, making it the companion in the field. Inside this gorgeously illustrated guide, you’ll
   
Sized perfectly to fit into a shoulder bag next to your binoculars, A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America is the one book you won’t want to leave home without.

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Mandy Kool · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute fantastic bird book!

I recently discovered the hobby of bird watching and feeding birds in the backyard. I’ll admit as an artist, there’s a little bit of an altruistic motive for it, but I’ll take it!

What this book does is break down not only how to bird watch, how to feed them, but even has a section of how to sketch them and take proper notes!

The illustrations in here are also just gorgeous. They are detailed and beautiful, covering many of the pages. I love how the colors are portrayed because even black birds have multifaceted colors.

I highly recommend this field guide for anyone’s bird watching collection. It would also make a great coffee table top gift too.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America is a well illustrated field guide to common birds of North America written by Rob Hume. Originally published in 2007, this reformat and re-release from Quarto on their Chartwell imprint was released 12th Sept 2023. It's 208 pages and is available in paperback format.

The author does a great job of introducing birding and general bird anatomy for beginners. The introductory chapters include some basic ornithology and some practical suggestions. There's a very good overview over equipment including a primer on selecting and using binoculars. The book contains a directory, which includes well drawn color illustrations of common birds, their distinguishing features, and ranges, general sizes, and other features including diet and behavior. Unfortunately, the author/publisher have chosen not to use proper nomenclature, electing to use the most recognized common names for each species.

The bulk of the book is taken up by a 2 year field log in which readers can record their observations. Each page of the log includes spaces for species, notes, weather, location, and behavior. The pages also include practical bird tracker tips in a highlighted text bar.

This would be a superlative gift or for home use. Due to the logbook nature, it would have very limited use for public or school library acquisition. It could also be a good choice for scouting, camp, or group activities.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America: A Visual Directory of the Most Popular Backyard Birds-Includes a 2 Year Logbook
Rob Hume
We have all watched birds as they land in our yards, perched on our bird feeders or as they take flight. We see their beauty in their colors, fragility and strength. During the winter I try to keep food out for the birds. Some I recognize like the Blue Jay as they run off most of the other birds so they can hog the bird seed. I also recognize the small finch with their yellow strip, the barn swallow that hops around, the beautiful red cardinals, the faithful robin and the lonely dove but there are many that I don’t recognize. With the help of A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America I plan to spend more time with my binoculars identifying the birds that visit my yard.
Backyard Birds is a small paperback to carry as you bird watch. The illustrations are beautiful, the section titled Bird Life was very interesting with information on courtship, songs, nests and feathers. There is a section to record the birds you spot. This is book would make a great gift for the bird lover in your family.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can only identify a handful of birds; they are the most simple ones-robin, bluejay, cardinal, red tailed hawk, pigeon, and maybe a few more. I hear birds all the time though and sometimes seeone flying by. With this guide, I will be better able to identify what i see.

The book begins with an introduction and a helpful section called Bird Finder at a Glance. The latter showed me that I knew a bit more than I credited myself for and has pictures of many breeds. Following this is a section on Bird Life where there is information on everything from feathers, to nests, to songs, courtship and much more. The next section is titled Making the Most of Birding which is filled with good advice. Also included is a catalog of US backyard birds and even a logbook.

This comprehensive and well illustrated books will be welcomed by novices and even some experienced bird watchers. It is a good resource.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great starting guide for people who are interested in birds and who want to start identifying them. It is not an expansive tome, rather, something that can easily be carried on a walk or hike.

The first few chapters discuss some of the features of birds. Ever wonder how the feathers adhere back together after you've separated them? What about the different types of beaks? This information is provided in an easy to understand description. I have always be fascinated with feathers, Now I know why and how they physically work. The book also describes what birds will eat and what type of nests they build.

Other useful features of this book include a "Bird Finder at a Glance," a logbook for you to note information on the birds you see,, and how to choose and use binoculars, among other helpful information.

There are a lot of birds in this book, but not every one that you might run into in this country. I'd recommend this book for a beginning birdwatcher.. I'd keep this next to the chair where I observe the birds at my feeders.

[Cambrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

NET GALLEY REVIEW | A Field Guide to Backyard Birds of North America by Rob Hume

Review: This is a nice little guide! It has some very good information for not only an inexperienced birder but also some good tidbits for those who are just a little bit more experienced than inexperienced (me). I was able to learn a lot bout bird biology, eggs, posturing, and different ways to describe birds when cataloguing them. The illustrations were pretty standard as far as bird illustrations go. Something of note that I really appreciated was the quick “Things to Know” beside the illustrations. These tidbits included things like size, habitat, breeds, winters, and foods as well as when they mature (winter vs. summer) BUT ALSO what kind of feeders they’re likely to fly up to for a snack! There’s a nice, long section in the back of the book for recording the birds you see.
Recommending: This would be a great gift for someone wanting to get into birding, but maybe not for a seasoned birder.

[Chris L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hume's book is an exhaustive look at every aspect of a bird: their bodies, behaviours, habitats, the foods they eat, their movements, etc. Each part of the bird's life is divided into these particular topics, and Hume details aspects of a wide range of birds within these categories. For instance, we learn that warblers have narrow bills because they eat ants while birds of prey have hooked bills because they dig into their prey or bite their prey with the bill. This is fascinating material even for someone like me who has not given birds much thought beyond the Alfred Hitchcock film where Tippi Hedren's character was terrorised by birds.

The book also includes a glossary, a visual dictionary of the birds, and a logbook for those birdwatchers who want to keep track of the birds they spot.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I picked this out because I was curious to learn some new facts and see how this selection was, but I do not plan to actively use it as a guide while birding.

I think this would be a great guide for true beginners. There is a detailed overview about birds in general, followed by birding tips, a detailed entries about common species, and pages for note-taking. Anyone beyond a beginner would likely find the information very basic and the entries about individual species did not have a lot of detail. The end does have a glossary and index, which would also be useful.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous and informative book on birds. I love the pictures, the information, and the journal format which allows you to take notes of when you see the various species.
This is a great book for all serious birdwatchers, as well as the casual observer of our feathered friends.
I can't wait to explore more and research more about the birds that visit my backyard, and that I see when out and about!

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I loved this book, it is the most through book on not only identifying birds, but it includes limitless information on birds, from their beaks to their claws as well as an awesome journal to keep track of the various birds you have seen and identified.

This is literally the one and ONLY book you need for a successful hobby enjoying birds!

I am buying a copy,.

[K Kolstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This looks like a good beginner birder journal. It outlines several birds one might find in our own neighborhoods, including an artist’s rendering. Considerable space is left for documenting bird sightings. While it does not include a comprehensive list of birds (for the Northwest, let alone North America) it will make a lovely gift for someone exploring birdwatching and will certainly give a sting base for more research.

[Ashley Love Sellers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful field guide sure to please any bird watcher. Comprehensive, beautifully illustrated, and highly detailed, this book is a perfect book for any bird watcher. Half of the book is a beautiful two-year logbook with bird tracker tips, so a novice might find this book especially beneficial.

[Carol Custer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive list of backyard birds that includes photos, detailed descriptions, and wonderful information on birds one might see in their back yard. It's a great reference book that any bird lover will enjoy to have on hand to identify birds.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this guide enrapt and will purchase copies for myself and birdwatching friends. Beautiful illustrated, featuring more than 50+ popular North American birds and a handy two-year logbook for capturing your sightings. Perfect for beginners and accomplished birders.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations. It covers 50 of the most popular birds in the US. It gives details about their life cycle, habitat and range. Good size for carrying in the field. A good gift for a bird watcher in your family.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated! Great beginner guide to birds

[Laurie Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a friendly small-scale bird guide for any newbie. It has nice images, and the author gives you a bit of information about each bird, but I did find a few details on some of what the birds eat to be incorrect so make sure you follow up on better research as you find new birds. What I did like about this book is the yearly tracking guide for you to fill out as you discover new birds and the where the bird's winters category.

All in all, if you're looking to explore backyard birds in your backyard, then, by all means, add this book to your to-be-read list, it will give you great help along the way.

[Ella Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, only thing is there’s a drawing of a white-throated sparrow instead of a white-crowned sparrow in the bird catalog section of the book