What is the best book on studying North American birds, particularly songbirds, in your opinion
>>25286955My dad has one above his fireplace I might take a picture of.
>>25286955Ornithology, Frank Gill
>>25286955I have one of those Audubon guides which was great for learning what I can expect to see in my area. The Merlin app should also not be discounted. Has helped me learn calls better than any book ever has.
>>25287011The Merlin app is an unbelievable resource. I totally agree with the calls. It's amazing how much more confident I am when I can confirm the bird that I'm hearing. People always are surprised at how I know the bird just from hearing it call. It's not tough, just takes some practice. Also, the sound ID feature on the app is ridiculously useful. I remember when it was in Beta stage and I doubted how well it would work. Really helps you know what to keep an eye out for and where to look, especially if you're just starting out.Not a pro birder or anything, but it might be the one thing in my life that I continue to improve upon and have enjoyed for years. Most other hobbies, even reading sometimes, I dabble and inevitably take a break or quit altogether. Birds are magical. Also, I've loved the hell out of my birdfeeder w/ a camera on it.>>25286955Answering the question OP posed tends to be a personal preference. I work at a bookstore and people have wildly varied preferences when it comes to field guides. Many are organized differently (some by color, taxonomy, etc...). Some only have illustrated pictures versus real photos. OP, I would suggest going to a bookstore and flipping through a few guides and see which layout you like the best. For whatever reason, I've never been a fan of Audubon guides. Some smaller publishers offer some amazing editions as well. It also depends if you plan on bringing it with you out to the field or if you'll just be studying it at home. Don't forget to check out Merlin, though. If I'm waiting somewhere or on a break or something, I'll frequently just scroll through the species in my area and read the little blurb on them and listen to their calls/songs. You'll surprise yourself with how much better your ID skills will be.I'll try to keep bumping this thread as I love birds. I'm at 48 species so far this year. Need to get to the coast to see shorebirds and get closer to my goal of 100 different species this year.
