Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds Paperback – July 18, 2001

This is good for what it is but I didn't really realize that shorebirds refer to a certain group of birds. I use the term generically, but "shorebirds" to an ornithologist is only a subset of birds that you see at the shore. So for example, you will not find pelicans or egrets or seagulls or ducks in this book.

Pros:-Very small and easy to carry. Paperback, about the size of an open wallet, and only about 1/4 of an inch thick-Intuitive organization, grouping birds into a few main shape categories and narrowing them down from there. Can help narrow your ID choices down significantly-Very nice migration maps. Show both spring and fall migration patterns separately AND provides rough date for when a bird reaches a given point on that migration map. Combined with plumage knowledge, this is a very useful ID toolCons:-Limited detail. For a beginners book, I think this will actually frustrate many shorebird novices without an additional resource. For instance, the peeps can be quite difficult to tell apart and with only about 4 pictures for each bird (one for each plumage), it may not give you enough to appreciate the actual differences being highlighted. Text descriptions of the important ID points are also limited.-Images for one species tend not to have birds of other species in them. When so much of shorebird ID is comparing, it is hard to look at an isolated picture of a Sanderling, for example, and see how they are larger than say, a Semipalmated Sandpiper. Photos with multiple birds would be useful to use as teaching pointsMy overall opinion is that this is a nice guide, but definitely needs something to supplement it. I greatly recommend  The Shorebird Guide . This book may have the opposite problem: being too wordy. With the combination of the two, you have something to really learn from at home and an nice small guide to jog your memory in the field.

Highly recommend this for the beginner shorebird watcher, with very clear identification pointers. More of a quick reference guide, it fits in your back pocket, so you're not lugging the larger, heavier books around. You can identify and make notes for later cross-referencing with a more complete guide.

I wish I'd bought this book years ago. Well-arranged, good photos, and quickly accessed information is a real boon for birders, no matter their experience level.

Very nice book for confirming identification of birds and the shore.

I consider myself a bird watcher and have trouble with shore birds. But I don't actually see them all that often and didn't want some really technical large tome. This is fine for me, a somewhat casual bird watcher. I agree with others, great for most people. If your a deadly serious birder/lister you may want something more complex.

Well done! This guide is quite user friendly. It is actually used by the rangers who provide birdwatching tours in the Forsythe preserve. As a beginner, I find it's organization to be clear and concise, allowing me to (somewhat) quickly identify a bord spotted in the beach or jetty.

Living close to the water affords me the opportunity to view many of variety of shorebirds shown in this guide, the Stokes family compiled an excellent text.

Très bon guide avec un classement pratique pour trouver plus rapidement l’identification. Bon format aussi pour le terrain.

petit livret anglophone broché souple petit format horizontal de 2001 décrivant 50 espèces nord-américaines de limicoles, classées selon une méthode originale par couleurs; après une quarantaine de pages d'introduction, l'ouvrage accorde à chaque espèce une double page avec texte systématisé, double carte de distribution et plusieurs (4) belles photos couleur; ce petit guide moderne exhaustif pourra prendre place dans les bagages de tout amateur d'oiseaux partant pour les USA; mais pourquoi ne pas investir plutôt dans un guide de terrain plus complet et costaud comme on en trouve beaucoup même à bas prix en seconde main; sinon, peut prendre place dans dans votre bibliothèque pour consultation

Great book. Delivery was as promised.

I chose this guide because I am a novice at identifying some of the shore birds. I would definitely recommend it to anyone getting started in bird watching.