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National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition Paperback – Illustrated, September 12, 2017

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,166 ratings

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This fully revised edition of the best-selling North American bird field guide is the most up-to-date guide on the market. Perfect for beginning to advanced birders, it is the only book organized to match the latest American Ornithological Society taxonomy.

With more than 2.75 million copies in print, this perennial bestseller is the most frequently updated of all North American bird field guides. Filled with hand-painted illustrations from top nature artists (including the ever-popular hummingbird), this latest edition is poised to become an instant must-have for every serious birder in the United States and Canada. The 7th edition includes 37 new species for a total of 1,023 species; 16 new pages allow for 250 fresh illustrations; 80 new maps; and 350 map revisions. With taxonomy revised to reflect the radical new American Ornithological Society taxonomy established in 2016, the addition of standardized banding codes, and text completely vetted by birding experts, this new edition will top of the list of birding field guides for years to come.
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From the Publisher

must-have for every birder in the US and Canada
open book guide to birds, hummingbirds
more bird books from national geographic

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The new edition is comprehensive and authoritative, written clearly enough for a beginning birder to understand and yet highly detailed enough for those who are more experienced. Dunn’s expertise in bird taxonomy and Alderfer’s artistic skills are a boon to this latest update of the venerable Nat Geo, a most worthwhile addition to any birder’s library.” ABA blog
 
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition
rated number one on American Birding Association podcast, by book reviewer Donna Schulman.

"After testing nine bird guides by taking them out in the field, comparing their contents and usability, and interviewing experts about their pros and cons, we choose the 
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America as the best field guide for most people. Equal parts detailed and accessible, it will appeal to experts and novices alike...beautifully illustrated and impressively thorough, yet still compact enough for you to hold it comfortably in your hands or tuck it into a bag. Its comprehensiveness—including more than 1,000 species of birds—will appeal to more hardcore birders. But its special features, such as thumb tabs and a fold-out visual index, make it accessible for beginners, too." —Wirecutter 

“What’s not to love about a fully updated, thicker Nat Geo guide?”
–BirdWatching

"Bins, camera, Nat Geo—the three essential elements for a mega-rarity twitch. No other field guide to North American birds does rarities so comprehensively and so well...The publication of 
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition is one of the top bird book events of 2017." 10,000birds.com

“This latest edition of an eminent classic is so good that soon enough it won’t be read at all: it will be quoted, referred to, even recited by birders, young and old, who have committed its wisdom to heart and put its information to use every day in the field.” –Birdaz.com

“If you want to become a better birder, get this guide and use it often. The text is thorough and accurate, the plates are a gratifying combination of painterly and precise, and the layout is a tour de force.”  
—Ted Floyd, editor of Birding magazine
 
“National Geographic has packed so much—new species, new art, revised maps, subspecies details, updated taxonomy and the latest ID tips—into this newest edition of their classic field guide that I suspect it may simply explode.”  
Scott Weidensaul, author of Living on the Wind

“This book really has it all. It's thorough and concise. The book feels high-quality, and is beautifully illustrated and enormously informative. This one is a must-have for all birders, whether amateur or experienced!” –Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
 
"This was book is incredibly well done. The images are clear and easy to identify, and they are well organized, making finding the right bird quick and easy. Below the images, there are text tips, these are especially helpful if you can’t quite identify off the picture. I was happy to see the pictures showing the birds in flight, which is how I see them most of the time." –BookExpression
 
“It is a very fine book and the most recent edition has some great improvements. It’s an excellent field guide to have in your collection. –Birdchick
 
“This volume is a really great reference to have on hand—both for any nature studies and just for watching outside of your windows.” –Just a Secular Homeschooler
 
“This @natgeoguide is so comprehensive and easy to use! The drawings are clear and detailed, making it easy to actually determine what bird you’re looking at. The birds are also categorized by type (sparrow, hawk, gull, etc) making it quick to navigate. I plan to be that nerd 🤓 carrying around a bird book on our next adventure. No shame here.” –Instagram: @wellreadmama
 
“I’ve found the 
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds increasingly impressive with each successive edition into which it has been published…Thus, for those seeking the present pinnacle of field guides for their North American (north of Mexico, at least) birding activities, a guide rich in ornithological details that will withstand regular field use, the new seventh edition of the North American Field Guide to the Birds of North America is quite likely the book to be sought.” –The Well-read Naturalist
 
“…a beautifully crafted tome filled with tons of information that will delight bird watchers everywhere.” –A Dream Within a Dream

"Updated, upgraded, and indispensible. The illustrations are better than in any other field guide; the fully revised text is detailed, accurate, and well organized; and the maps are unmatched. This is
the guide for birders and field ornithologiests." Dr. J. V. Remsen, Jr., Museum of Natural Sciences, Louisiana State University 

"A stellar update of this standard-setting field guide. The new edition offers innovative features for all skill and interest levels, from those seeking a basic ID to those who want their field guide to deliver the goods on behavior, taxonomy, and distribution."  
Dr. Terry Chesser, Chair, AOS Committee on Classification and Nomenclature (North and Middle America)
 
"New birds, new knowledge and new art work just made the most essential guide for North American birders even more essential....You only need to buy one field guide for North America, and the National Geographic is it." —Neil Hayward, author of 
Lost Among the Birds "[This edition] continues to improve on the already outstanding previous editions.  The addition of many new illustrations as well as updated text and range maps make this book the standard for North American field guides." Mark W. Lockwood, author of The TOS Handbook of Texas Birds

Review

"A stellar update of this standard-setting field guide."—Dr. Terry Chesser, chair of American Ornithological Society' committee on classification and nomenclature

"This is
the guide for birders and field ornithologists."—Dr. J. V. Remsen, Jr., Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State University

"If you want to become a better birder, get this guide and use it often."—Ted Floyd, editor of
Birding magazine

"National Geographic has packed so much—new species, new art, revised maps, subspecies details, updated taxonomy, and the latest ID tips—into this newest edition of their classic field guide."—Scott Weidensaul, author of
A World on the Wing

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ National Geographic; 7th edition (September 12, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 592 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1426218354
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1426218354
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.47 x 1.12 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,166 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
5,166 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and useful for identifying birds. They appreciate the accurate illustrations and color drawings. The layout is clear and concise, making it easy to navigate and understand. The identification features are highlighted, helping readers improve their identification skills. The content is comprehensive, authoritative, and well-organized, covering many different bird species and plumages. Overall, customers consider it a valuable resource that offers good value for money.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

301 customers mention "Reference value"298 positive3 negative

Customers find the book informative and useful for birding. They appreciate the detailed descriptions, photos, and drawings. Many consider it a good reference for new birders.

"...The Bald Eagle on the cover. I mean, it's a symbolic bird for many, and it spans most of the continent, but it's so done...." Read more

"...seen in North American (including the extinct ones) and a wonderfully helpful Introduction with many hints on bird identification, parts of a bird,..." Read more

"...But, NG is decent enough for finding the bird you're trying to identify, though a little more difficult even with the thumbtabs...." Read more

"...The edition is a encyclopedia of knowledge…. If it was split into two more manageable books, people would complain about that...." Read more

183 customers mention "Illustrations"175 positive8 negative

Customers find the illustrations in the book accurate. They appreciate the photos, descriptions, and indexes. The layout is nice, with pictures on almost every facing page. There are visual guides to the general appearance of birds, including male and female colors.

"...More about that later.... I find the pictures in this particular guide very helpful and for the most part extremely accurate...." Read more

"...There is also a cool style approach to the images that is a bit different with a more playful and organic to the placement of illustrations...." Read more

"Well done, complete, great pictures" Read more

"...Visual index to families on the inside covers: brilliant. Inclusion of rarities brilliantly handled...." Read more

95 customers mention "Ease of use"88 positive7 negative

Customers find the book easy to navigate and understand. They appreciate the clear, concise text and simple organization. The categories are easy to understand and there is a section on identifying birds. The format and maps are well-organized.

"...The trick is to pick field guides that provide comprehensive, easily accessible, clear information that make identifications quick and indisputable...." Read more

"I appreciate the format and maps. Years ago I had a variety of guides and have settled into this one over the past decade...." Read more

"Well done, complete, great pictures" Read more

"...Tabs. What a simple idea, and very useful. Alphabetical index to the families on the inside cover: brilliant...." Read more

60 customers mention "Ease of identification"60 positive0 negative

Customers find the illustrations in the book helpful for identifying birds. They appreciate the quick-find index and thumbtabs. The layout is easy to navigate, with subspecies range maps and clear distinguishing features highlighted. The artwork allows readers to easily identify different types by memory, which is better for documenting the bird.

"...Birders need to be alert to this. I like the quick find index found in this book and love the thumbtabs which are quite handy...." Read more

"...Among this field guide's qualities are an easy to use quick find index on the back cover flap, a convenient size, illustrations of the 967 species..." Read more

"...So, it's a quick find if you have some idea as to what the common name of the bird is...." Read more

"...if I've never seen the bird in my life & I've been able to accurately identify species from other people's blurry cellphone photos, so I think that..." Read more

29 customers mention "Content"29 positive0 negative

Customers find this book's content comprehensive and authoritative. They describe it as a great resource for beginners with beautifully illustrated pages. The text is simple and to the point, with an excellent inclusion of rarities. It makes a perfect complement to Sibley's book and is portable for field use.

"...This guide is a super valuable addition and the perfect compliment to bundle with these others...." Read more

"...The trick is to pick field guides that provide comprehensive, easily accessible, clear information that make identifications quick and indisputable...." Read more

"Well done, complete, great pictures" Read more

"...Inclusion of rarities brilliantly handled. (Rarities in main text, super-rarities in the back of the book.)..." Read more

28 customers mention "Bird content"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's bird content helpful. They appreciate the tabs throughout the book that help them quickly find major groups of birds. The book covers a wide variety of birds, with multiple similar species on each page. They also like the way the tabs separate different species and mention it's a valuable reference book.

"...I mean, it's a symbolic bird for many, and it spans most of the continent, but it's so done. What about another avian friend being featured?..." Read more

"...with many hints on bird identification, parts of a bird, the range of maps, and how to be a better birder...." Read more

"...A feature I like on the National Geographic is full pages of all the different hawks, raptors, shorebirds, etc. in flight...." Read more

"This is pretty extensive and provides a lot of information." Read more

25 customers mention "Value for money"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a good value for money. They say it's a valuable guide with beautiful artwork and good descriptions.

"This is a hefty book with beautiful artwork and good descriptors on how to identify the birds...." Read more

"...I also had a gift card so i got the book for a good price. I was so excited to get this too! And it came in no time, about 3 days...." Read more

"Good value and very helpful with pictures to help identify birds" Read more

"...Particularly good on hawks which can be very similar. GREAT book and great price...." Read more

34 customers mention "Weight"16 positive18 negative

Customers have different views on the book's weight. Some find it lightweight and portable for trips, like hiking or to the river. Others feel it's too heavy and bulky to carry in the field easily.

"...The only downside is that it's pretty heavy at 2 pounds so you may want to have a smaller guide for going on hikes and such." Read more

"...It promotes itself as "comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy, and easier than ever to use"...." Read more

"...Although much too large and heavy to be used as a field guide, this desk reference gets five stars from me...." Read more

"...They are organized in the same way like Sibley's, but lighter and smaller. * NG gives more habitat information about each bird species. *..." Read more

Amazing field guide especially for the price
5 out of 5 stars
Amazing field guide especially for the price
Has helped me identify plenty of birds during bird watching for my ornithology class. There are tons of bird species helpful guides and areas that the birds would normally be found in.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2010
    I recently replaced my old edition of this work with this, the fifth edition and must say I am quite pleased. I am one of those individuals (like many birders) who rely on a number of field guides and reference books. The previous edition of this work has for a number of years been one of the pillars I rely on.

    Now everyone has their own favorite field guide and of course I am no exception. How a guide becomes the favorite of any individual depends upon numerous factors, but I have found one of the leading reason is simply that each birder uses what he or she is most familiar with or the first guide they began using. With me, as many, many others, I have been a Peterson fan for well over 50 years. I still use the Peterson guides and they are the first book I reach for. But this is not to say that I am not oh so grateful for all of the other wonderful identification books we now have available, this work from National Geographic included. More about that later....

    I find the pictures in this particular guide very helpful and for the most part extremely accurate. If you compare the illustrations in this work with Sibley or Kauffman, it stands up pretty well. I find that the Peterson work will bring identification points to my attention quicker and I find both Sibley and Peterson easier to use from a visual aspect, but I suspect that is personal preference and simply what I have become more use to over the years.

    Now as to illustrations, in my case I find that if I use one illustrated guide (or two or three) combined with a guide that uses photographs, such as the Audubon or Smithsonian, my chances of identifying what ever it is I am trying to identify, increase greatly. I am a strong believer in using multiple books!

    The range guides in this work are quite good as far as it goes, but as with all guides and filed books, you have to remember that ranges are not written in stone. We are going through a tremendous range change at present due to the climate changes we are experiencing and as each year passes, I am amazed at the number of species If spot that have no right to be where they are; according range maps. Birders need to be alert to this.

    I like the quick find index found in this book and love the thumbtabs which are quite handy. This edition includes "every North American Species - 967 in all." Two things to note here: First, the species count is continually changing with new subspecies being added and older subspecies being grouped. I no of no field guide that can constantly keep up with this as quickly as changes take place. Secondly, beginning birders often make the mistake of including Mexico and parts of Central America as "North America." This is not the way they have divided up the "bird world." Anything south of the U.S. boarder is not considered North America as far as bird guides go.

    Note: As has been pointed out by a number of reviewers here, the arrangement of this work may take some getting use to as the authors have used the new taxanomic order as approved of by the American Ornithologist Union. This will be no problem for new birders, but old birds like myself had to do some mental adjustments when first using this work.

    I would never ever make the statement to the effect that "if you only have one bird book to your name...." as I am a strong believer in multiple books but that being said, if you do indeed want only one book, then I hardly feel you would go wrong with this one.

    Don Blankenship
    The Ozarks
    20 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2021
    We have the Sibley (east and west) and the Peterson (east and west) and before seeing this book I wondered how you could really add with already having these two.

    This guide is a super valuable addition and the perfect compliment to bundle with these others. It would also be great on it's own for a budding birder, as it does span the full continent.

    Amazing artwork with a representation of the species. There is also a cool style approach to the images that is a bit different with a more playful and organic to the placement of illustrations. I'll admit, being more used to the Sibley and Peterson utilitarian layout, it took me a minute, but now I love the variation.

    The textual descriptions are one of the most in depth of the three guides, with more details on behaviours and habitats. Also the 4-letter alpha codes are included for each species. The one detail now included is bird weight, which doesn't really help with IDing, but we do it sometimes, though it is available in the others, who don't have the alpha codes.

    The sub-special illustrations, explanations in text, and maps are really interesting a must for the bonafide bird nerd. Super cool and really thoughtful new information.

    Absolute must for your birding / bird loving friends.

    Only minor/subjective complaint: Really? The Bald Eagle on the cover. I mean, it's a symbolic bird for many, and it spans most of the continent, but it's so done. What about another avian friend being featured? A blue heron, a wood duck, a cedar waxwing, a belted kingfisher, pileated woodpecker, yellow warbler, barn swallows, purple martins--so many other birdies to be seen.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2008
    A single field guide is not sufficient. A birder needs to compare the information and illustrations of two or more field guides. The trick is to pick field guides that provide comprehensive, easily accessible, clear information that make identifications quick and indisputable. I believe that the Fifth Edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America has a number of qualities and features that make it an admirable and worthy choice as one of the field guides one should use.

    First, it has the very sage advice, "The time you spend at home with your field guide will be repaid when you go out birding." Using its maps as a guide, a birder can peruse the pages to obtain a good idea of what to expect in the field.

    Among this field guide's qualities are an easy to use quick find index on the back cover flap, a convenient size, illustrations of the 967 species seen in North American (including the extinct ones) and a wonderfully helpful Introduction with many hints on bird identification, parts of a bird, the range of maps, and how to be a better birder. For example, the Introduction provides an illustration of what to look for and how to tell a Lesser Scaup from a Greater Scaup.

    The text is comprehensive, providing the diagnostic features for males, females, and juveniles when these vary. Although the diagnostic features of a species are not pointed out in the illustrations, which is a drawback in my eyes, the concise text clearly sets out the features. An experienced birder will have no difficulty finding the correct family or grouping of birds even if they still cannot tell the Empidonax flycatchers apart. (That is not the fault of the field guide.)

    The field guide does have a few draw backs. It promotes itself as "comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy, and easier than ever to use". Without field testing, the sturdiness of the paperback format to withstand rugged use is unknown, but in doubt. The illustrations vary in quality. While the illustration of the Greater Roadrunner is absolutely brilliant in shape and color, the Northern Cardinal's color seems muddy and dull. Any birder will still be able to identify a Northern Cardinal, but the reality will be different from the illustration, which casts some doubt on the color representations of other, less well known species.

    Despite these minor flaws that emphasize the need for more than one field guide, I highly recommend the Fifth Edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America as one of the field guides to study at home or carry into the field.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cliente de Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 9, 2024
    Muy completo en información y bastante práctico.
  • Mr. S. Metcalfe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great field guide
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2024
    Bought to replace my misplaced old copy. This new one is so much better. Quick find tabs cut into the pages are a great help. Lots of vagrants added not sure if that is help or hindrance. A must for anyone interested in North American birds.
  • vryc
    5.0 out of 5 stars Misplaced my copy, so I bought it again. Only one I want.
    Reviewed in Canada on June 21, 2021
    Recommended by a prof at university when I took an ornithology course. Loved it, filled it with tabs and notes, found it really helpful for ID'ing birds and passing the course. I have since misplaced that copy, and after looking at what else was available, I decided I just wanted the same trusty book again.

    Good size, not super-heavy. I carry it with me while birdwatching. There's a quick reference on the inside cover, and labeled thumb tabs throughout, making it easy to quickly look up a bird on the spot. Pictures are well done, showing both genders, juveniles, and seasonal plumage. The colour-coded maps are easy to check at a glance, and the songs are described in detail. Good book.
  • Irene
    5.0 out of 5 stars Preciosa
    Reviewed in Spain on December 6, 2022
    Soy ornitóloga y me ha dejado fascinada. Me encantan las ilustraciones. Las marcas para acceder a los grupos de aves que buscas me parece una idea fantástica. Es de muy buena calidad
  • Davide C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars ben realizzato
    Reviewed in Italy on November 30, 2022
    completo