Backyard Birds: The Essential Peterson Field Guide to North American Birding for Young Naturalists

by Jonathan P. Latimer, Karen Stray Nolting, Roger Tory Peterson (Illustrations)

THE bird book for kids! It's America’s best-selling field guide adapted for young birders. 

Backyard Birders , part of the Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists series, 
▪ The birds you are most likely to see in the backyards of North America
▪ The Peterson Identification System which uses life-like illustrations and provides the best method for bird identification
▪ Vibrant color photographs of birds in their natural habitats
▪ Easy-to-use design that helps beginners succeed and have fun

For more than 85 years, Peterson Field Guides have set the standard by which other field guides are measured. Comprehensive and authoritative, they are essential additions to any naturalist's bookshelf or backpack.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Field Guides, Nature, Childrens, Science

48 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 1999

Reviews

[Sherrese Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I'm going to get another one to read. I love birds. I learned several new things. Easy to read. Very relaxing. I did a couple of birds each time I read.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, our family started a bird feeder for the birds in our rural area.  Frankly, we're hooked on birds.  Although the book is advertised for the reading level of ages 4 - 8, we decided we needed a "starter book" about the subject.  I'm delighted with this small, colorful volume. It has 48 pages and is a handy enough size to take along.

We may be very much older than the target audience for this book, but it gives the main facts without a lot of extraneous detail. As newbies, that is what we are looking for at this point. We want to know where to find them (their habitat), what sounds they make (their voice), and what they prefer to eat.  Bingo! This book answers our questions in a quick and informative way. This book is not comprehensive (about 20 birds are highlighted) but it covers the birds most likely to try bird feeders.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief guide of about 20 birds children may see in their backyards. There is a brief description and photo of each bird, drawings of males, females, and in some cases juvenile birds. Descriptions are simple and include interesting facts. This is not an exhaustive guide for bird watchers but an introduction appropriate for children.

[Summer Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very great and short book to learn a little bit about the most iconic and well known birds you see in North America. I wish it was longer and talked about a few other species . It’s only about 45 pages. It will make for a great coffee table book if guest would like to pick it up and flip through it. I loved learning about how some of the species came to North America.

[Eric Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love watching birds and my daughter always asked me what it was so we got this and looked through it together. It was great to spend that time with her

[Jenny Hinds]

Yes I read this book. Yes I’m such a nerd. Birds are just way more interesting ok !!!

[Jacqui Jacoby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for IDing feathered freind. What I needed was a how to plan bird feeders and birdhouses in the yard. I am putting in a garden and I want animal habitat to be a main objective.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book uses both photos and drawings to aid in the identification of twenty birds commonly found in the back yards of the US and Canada. Birds are divided into sections based on feather color which makes it easy to quickly find the right section, then using other details, such as the shape of the tail or the length of the legs, make an identification. Because several pages are devoted to each bird species, readers will learn more specific facts about each bird, such as its vocalizations. This book would be useful in the classroom to introduce the idea of scientific identification as this uses the Peterson system that guides the observer to look for identifying features. Students would learn the scientific method through observation as well as the characteristics of many common birds, helping to foster an interest in the natural sciences.

[Tye · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like birds and like to go bird watching, you should read this book. But if you aren't into that stuff then I wouldn't read it but it helped me because I live on a ranch and I see these birds quite often so it's nice to learn something about them.

[Mandy Helfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I didn’t realize this was a book for children when I purchased it but I am a beginner birdwatcher. I ended up learning a lot of interesting facts.