Smithsonian field guide to the birds of North America.

This field guide to North American birds, written by the foremost birding writers, is both innovative and easy to use. The book features more than 2,500 colour photographs from the best nature photographers working today. Coverage of 730 North American species including rare birds and escaped exotics. 730 new colour maps based on the latest range information (more than any other previous field guide.) Emphasis on bird behaviour and a “whole bird” philosophy of field identification. Informative essays on each bird group giving vital information regarding behaviour and id tips. Robust introduction to birds and birding precedes the species accounts with sections on species I.D., conservation, bird morphometrics, topography, and migration. In addition the book includes a first for a major field guide – a disc with digital recordings of 136 species (includes multiple vocalizations for each species including song, flight, and call) that are associated to images and keyed to the text. All 580 recordings are in the mp3 format and may be copied to a computer and to a portable mp3 player (iPod and some mobile telephones) for use in the field. Vocalizations are clearly organized in separate tracks for each species.