Birds of Iowa: Field Guide

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Summary: Birds of Iowa: Field Guide
Review: "The Birds of Iowa Field Guide" is the first and greatest source I have found to identify birds in my own Iowa backyard. The 270-plus full-page color photographs are not only excellent quality, but they are organized in easy to use color coded sections that allow you to flip through pages quickly based on the color of bird that you see. For example, the male cardinal can be found in the red section, the female cardinal can be found in the brown section.

Of special interest are the author's personal notes which are included among the descriptions of everything from size to nesting habits. Range maps on each page clearly show when and where the birds will be found. Beginners will find the tips for identifying birds and other bird basics most informative.

For the Iowa birdwatcher, this book tops the list because there's no need to search through pages and pages of birds that cannot be found in Iowa. All in all, it is outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: At-Your-Fingertips Information!
Review: I am an amateur birdwatcher, and just starting out in Iowa. The idea of classifying birds according to colour, and not according to the scientific classification of waders/raptors/... is a simple idea that's highly useful to a rookie like me.

The photographs in the book are amazing. I have always found most of the field guides to be confusing, since the paintings used will not reflect the true vibrancy of the colours of the birds in the field. Since the book adopts the policy of using high-quality photographs, it does seem to be more accessible. Bird identification no longer seems to be the pain that it usually is. I would recommend this book to anyone who is starting out into the world of birds!