Rating: 
Summary: Very impressive and helpful.
Review: Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region is a very impressive and helpful bird identification tool. This happens to be a field guide that I feel confident using whenever I go birdwatching. I find that aspect to be the most important of any field guide--whether it's good enough to actually be trusted out in the field. This bird identification guide contains over 900 full color photographs. Also, all of the information pertaining to the particular species of bird is on the same page: this includes the color photograph, range map, and detailed text information (behavior, voice, feeding, nesting, and habitat for example). Having all of the information on one page is always very important. The book also contains quick alphabetical indexes inside the front and back covers that happen to be very useful for quick reference. The guide has a color tab index to bird groups, a quick guide to the most common backyard and feeder birds (good for beginners), and learning pages, too. I find the color photographs in this field guide to be clear, crisp, and very good. The guide also includes idenification symbols on the pages of particular birds that use feeders or birdhouses. A glossary of terms is included, too, along with a page that points out the names of the anatomical parts of a bird. Donald and Lillian Stokes have done an admirable job of putting this guide together. It's one of my favorite bird identification tools. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Very impressive and helpful.
Review: Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region is a very impressive and helpful bird identification tool. This happens to be a field guide that I feel confident using whenever I go birdwatching. I find that aspect to be the most important of any field guide--whether it's good enough to actually be trusted out in the field. This bird identification guide contains over 900 full color photographs. Also, all of the information pertaining to the particular species of bird is on the same page: this includes the color photograph, range map, and detailed text information (behavior, voice, feeding, nesting, and habitat for example). Having all of the information on one page is always very important. The book also contains quick alphabetical indexes inside the front and back covers that happen to be very useful for quick reference. The guide has a color tab index to bird groups, a quick guide to the most common backyard and feeder birds (good for beginners), and learning pages, too. I find the color photographs in this field guide to be clear, crisp, and very good. The guide also includes idenification symbols on the pages of particular birds that use feeders or birdhouses. A glossary of terms is included, too, along with a page that points out the names of the anatomical parts of a bird. Donald and Lillian Stokes have done an admirable job of putting this guide together. It's one of my favorite bird identification tools. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A tried-and-true field guide
Review: The Stokes Field Guide-Western Edition has become my pocket reference of choice in the field. I wore out my first copy from overuse, which is a high compliment to its usefulness (and binding sturdiness). As a pocket guide and quick reference, you cannot beat Stokes' "bang for the buck." It offers most of the basics that most birders would need in the field:
* Quick color tab index
* Large photos (which usually capture indicative plumage)
* Good all-up glance at ID, feeding, nesting, and other relevant behavior
* Nice North American habitat guide that zooms in if the range is geographically smaller
* Habitat type info has been very helpful Downsides are few, but:
1. I think the anatomical reference is incomplete, but for most purposes basically adequate.
2. The "quick reference to the most common birds" pages seem somewhat pointless because the species are so arbitrary.
3. The color quality in some photos aren't as indicative as I'd like, but you have to expect some inconsistencies due to the nature of photographs, habitat and lighting.
4. There really isn't a section on responsible birding, ethics, and avian conservation. Their conservation section consists of BBC and CBC census data only. That said, I love this guide. Between the Stokes and Sibley ID guides used in tandem, most people won't need another field resource for visual field identification.
Rating:
Summary: A tried-and-true field guide
Review: The Stokes Field Guide-Western Edition has become my pocket reference of choice in the field. I wore out my first copy from overuse, which is a high compliment to its usefulness (and binding sturdiness). As a pocket guide and quick reference, you cannot beat Stokes' "bang for the buck." It offers most of the basics that most birders would need in the field:
* Quick color tab index
* Large photos (which usually capture indicative plumage)
* Good all-up glance at ID, feeding, nesting, and other relevant behavior
* Nice North American habitat guide that zooms in if the range is geographically smaller
* Habitat type info has been very helpful Downsides are few, but:
1. I think the anatomical reference is incomplete, but for most purposes basically adequate.
2. The "quick reference to the most common birds" pages seem somewhat pointless because the species are so arbitrary.
3. The color quality in some photos aren't as indicative as I'd like, but you have to expect some inconsistencies due to the nature of photographs, habitat and lighting.
4. There really isn't a section on responsible birding, ethics, and avian conservation. Their conservation section consists of BBC and CBC census data only. That said, I love this guide. Between the Stokes and Sibley ID guides used in tandem, most people won't need another field resource for visual field identification.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Stoke'd about this Bird Book
Review: There's not a bird that can get by me with this book in hand. Of the three bird books we own, I'd say the Stokes "Field Guide to Birds" is at the top of the nest. Besides the individualized color-coded sections with categories for Seabirds, Hawk-like birds, chicken-like birds, bird-like birds, flycatchers, and on and on, the book also features some quick guide features that help you in a tight bind when you have spotted a bird, reached for the binoculars with one hand, reached for the book with the other hand, all the while scaring off your prized find. The quick alphabetical index is on the inside cover if you know enough about your bird types to narrow down the search quickly. If you are more of a visual bird boy, there's a Quick Guide displaying wonderful pictures on a white background of 53 of the most common feathered friends. To even make it more handy, there are "learning pages" among all the individual bird genus species pages. These are truly insightful giving tidbits of info on Flycatchers, Hawks, Shorebirds, Gulls, Warblers, and Sparrows. You will be educated by them learning how to identify immature birds, birds by behavior. It just may include that one tip that helps you put a pos ID on that hard to find match. Compared to other bird books like the popular "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds" this book doesn't leave you flipping between pages to find all the info you are flapping your wings to get a hold of. With this book I have ID'd Scrub Jays, Northern Flickers, Black Phoebe's, Western Kingbirds, and the Yellow-billed Magpie and consequently learned you can find that Magpie nowhere else but Northern California. This bird book flies high, higher than the rest.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Stoke'd about this Bird Book
Review: There's not a bird that can get by me with this book in hand. Of the three bird books we own, I'd say the Stokes "Field Guide to Birds" is at the top of the nest. Besides the individualized color-coded sections with categories for Seabirds, Hawk-like birds, chicken-like birds, bird-like birds, flycatchers, and on and on, the book also features some quick guide features that help you in a tight bind when you have spotted a bird, reached for the binoculars with one hand, reached for the book with the other hand, all the while scaring off your prized find. The quick alphabetical index is on the inside cover if you know enough about your bird types to narrow down the search quickly. If you are more of a visual bird boy, there's a Quick Guide displaying wonderful pictures on a white background of 53 of the most common feathered friends. To even make it more handy, there are "learning pages" among all the individual bird genus species pages. These are truly insightful giving tidbits of info on Flycatchers, Hawks, Shorebirds, Gulls, Warblers, and Sparrows. You will be educated by them learning how to identify immature birds, birds by behavior. It just may include that one tip that helps you put a pos ID on that hard to find match. Compared to other bird books like the popular "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds" this book doesn't leave you flipping between pages to find all the info you are flapping your wings to get a hold of. With this book I have ID'd Scrub Jays, Northern Flickers, Black Phoebe's, Western Kingbirds, and the Yellow-billed Magpie and consequently learned you can find that Magpie nowhere else but Northern California. This bird book flies high, higher than the rest.
Rating:
Summary: A great book. Easy identification of birds; great pictures
Review: This book is a perfect for fast, easy identification of birds. It has coloured tabs on the side of the book for so you can find your bird more quickly and contains over 900 great pictures
Rating:
Summary: A must have book for birders of all skill levels!
Review: This book is amazingly great in detail. You are given an actual photo of the birds (summer and winter varieties) as well as nesting and feeding habits. Wow! What more can I say! I'm thrilled to be an owner of this book!
Rating:
Summary: A must have book for birders of all skill levels!
Review: This book is amazingly great in detail. You are given an actual photo of the birds (summer and winter varieties) as well as nesting and feeding habits. Wow! What more can I say! I'm thrilled to be an owner of this book!
Rating:
Summary: A Must have for any real birder.
Review: This book provides bird watchers with an excellent guide to almost every bird found in the Eastern half of the US. The quick index and color tabs make finding the right page easy for most birders, and the introduction provides the information an inexperienced birder needs to learn how to use this book. The photographs are mostly excellent and show most of the important field marks. Immature, female, and non-breeding season plummage pictures are provided for many birds, and a wonderful description of the bird's plummage is always included. The maps, although sometimes inaccurate (as I've found with most guides) are easy to read. The addition of shading for migration routes would help, but could be confusing for some birders. The learning pages provide an excellent comparison of similar species; especially useful for sparrows and warblers. I would reccomend purchasing Peterson's guide in addition to this, but if you can only buy one, this is the one I'd buy. Keep in mind that every person is different, and will benifit from different organizations of species. Purchase the book you think will suit your preferences best.
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