Best wildlife field guides

Best wildlife field guides

Blog Article

Here are some of the best wildlife field guides, according to online discussions:

**Birds:**
* **Sibley Guides** Sibley guides are highly recommended for bird identification, with innovative layouts, essential text, and illustrations[1][2]. For those new to birding, *Sibley's Birding Basics* is also a great resource[2].
* **National Geographic Field Guides** These are great for intermediate to advanced birding. They emphasize plumages most likely to be encountered, making them accessible for novice birders[1][2]. The seventh edition is the most recent[2].
* **Collins Bird Guide** In Europe, Collins guides are recommended for bird identification[1].
* **RSPB Field Guides** The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) guides are excellent, especially in the UK, and some include a CD of bird calls[1].
* **Peterson Field Guides** These are also recommended, particularly regional guides specific to your area[1].

**Mammals:**

* **Peterson Field Guides** The Peterson field guide is recommended for North America[1].
* **Mark Elbroch's "Mammal Tracks and Sign"** This guide is highly recommended for identifying mammal tracks and signs[1].
* **Audubon Society Field Guides** Though opinions vary, some appreciate the full-color photos and detail in Audubon guides for mammals[1].

**Butterflies:**

* **Kaufmann Guide** The Kaufmann Guide is well-regarded for butterfly identification[1].
* **A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America** This guide is a comprehensive resource with photos and minimal text[2].
* **Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer’s Guide** This book is a masterpiece with essays on butterfly biology and ecology, detailed species descriptions, and photos[2].

**Trees/Shrubs:**

* **Peterson Field Guides** The Peterson guide to trees and shrubs is a good portable guide for woody plants[1].

**Dragonflies and Damselflies:**

* **Damselflies of the Northeast by Ed Lam** This is considered one of the finest field guides to any taxon[1][2].
* **Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East by click here Dennis Paulson** This is a go-to field guide for dragonfly identification[2].

**Other:**

* **Edible Wild Mushrooms of N. America - David here Fischer** A fantastic guide with recipes, though not ideal for field use[1].
* **FSC Fold-Out Charts** These laminated, shower-proof charts with clear illustrations are suitable for all age groups[3].
* **The Naturalist's Notebook by Nathaniel Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich** This is a guide to improve nature observation skills across seasons[6].

Citations:
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/ecology/comments/smmya/what_is_are_the_best_field_guides_youve_ever/
[2] https://bryanpfeiffer.com/a-field-guide-to-field-guides/
[3] https://thewildlifecommunity.co.uk/collections/wildlife-books-guides
[4] https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/current-or-general-favorite-field-guides/656?page=2
[5] https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/31049.Best_Nature_Field_Guides
[6] https://awaytogarden.com/favorite-field-guides-real-field-guide-freak/
[7] https://www.pathsoflearning.net/2426/best-wildlife-field-guides-for-budding-naturalists/
[8] https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/field-guides/