The Fifth Edition, Much Better Than the Five-Star First

How old does a book need to be to earn the classification of antique? How can a classic reference book outdo itself? Too many years ago I purchased the first edition National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America convinced this book couldn’t get much better. Now I’m repeating that thought with the fifth edition.

With the release of the Fifth Edition I decided to grab my 1983 publication to compare. Too much has changed, a comparison is more like granny smith apples to crab apples.

The cover is different, as are the pages. It has a quick-find index overleaf on both the front and back covers. The sections have thumb tabs (easy access), AND the inside front cover has diagrams of the bird parts. I really like this feature—it eliminates thumbing back and forth to hidden pages to identify a questionable part. Beginners and experienced birders will both appreciate this feature. I tend to make my own tabs for quick reference to bird families—the publishers did this for me in this new edition. I often pine for spiral binders on field books, but in this case it's not necessary. My 1983 book is still intact.

There’s more...

Inside the back cover is a map of North America. This edition has new plates, revised maps, tables and figures. Over the past 20 plus years ornithologists have learned more about the movements of birds and this knowledge is reflected on the maps.

If the fifth is your first…
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America is an extremely valuable resource. The introduction serves to do just that, introduce new birders to a growing and popular hobby. This explains the reasons for the species selections and how birds are organized by family groups. It introduces scientific names and techniques for identifying birds using field marks. Although the inside of the front cover shows bird topography, this section also describes observable features that quickly assist with field identification. Plumage, molt, size, voice, behavior, and habitat all assist in identifying birds.

Read the introduction. It familiarizes readers with the descriptions and prepares us for the meat of this field guide.

Herons, Bitterns, and Allies
Images are artist renditions with high quality details obviously taken from experience. Many birders prefer illustrations as they allow a little more freedom in adding appropriate field marks possibly not present in a photograph. Family descriptions are shaded text boxes and easy to find on a page.

Family name, Ardeidae, contains the herons, bitterns, and some allies. These are “Wading birds; most have long legs, neck and bill for stalking food in shallow water. Graceful crests and plumes adorn some species in breeding season. Species: 65 World, 18 N.A.” Each bird has a common name, Great Blue Heron, and scientific name, Ardea herodias. Size 46” (117 cm), WS 72” (183) Large, gray-blue heron; black stripe extends above eye; white foreneck is streaked with black. The breeding adult and juvenile are described and some similar birds are recommended just in case there is doubt. The map shows various ranges. Images of the breeding adult, juvenile and the tell-tale flight perspective of a GBH helps with quick identification of this incredible bird.

Accidental and endangered species are similarly described in the back few pages. There are 71 species identified including the four that have gone extinct in the last 200 years. In 2005 a sighting of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker led to additions to the text in this edition that includes a sentence stating the search continues. An index lists birds by common and scientific names. The first edition had check boxes for life listers, the fifth doesn’t.

The fifth edition has nearly 967 birds described--all of the currently known North American species, each precisely described. The editors claim 700 range maps and comparisons to the first edition maps expose the revisions. The ranges are different—some are smaller, some are expanded.

The quick-find flap on the front cover lists families. Experienced birders can often quickly identify birds to family based upon a few field marks. I can only do that with 20 or 30 birds. The quick find index on the back cover flap lists 149 commonly found birds (albatrosses through nighthawks to yellowthroats). Each description that I compared was slightly to completely different reflecting the new knowledge gathered over the past 20 years.

Got a Bird to Identify?
Claims of authoritative, comprehensive, easy to use, and essential resources are not exaggerations. Obviously this field guide is a book in progress with each edition distinctly different from the previous, however, THIS edition has added some extremely helpful modifications. Patsy likes this book and although my first edition is still in usable shape, perhaps it’s ready for retirement. This guide is a convenient size for field work, not too heavy, and my binding on the previous has held up in spite of a lot of use. Fieldwork always means taking a general guidebook such as this and a regional guidebook. I don’t know what revisions will look like in 20 more years, hopefully I’ll still be truckin’ around watching for birds and other creatures, but I anticipate that this book will ride in my backpack for the next 20 years.