I was sent a free copy of National Geographic Birding Basics through TLC Book Tours. All opinions are my own.
About National Geographic Birding Basics:
Targeted to beginners and beyond, National Geographic’s fun, inspiring guide to the art, craft, and science of bird-watching combines practical know-how and expert knowledge. Browsable and bursting with helpful illustrations and photographs, Birding Basics offers new ideas for when, where, and how to get to know the birds in your world.
Not a field guide but a primer in best practices, authored by birding expert Noah Strycker, this breezy book features easy-to-follow advice on what to look and listen for, how to use field guides and birding apps, the best equipment to start with, and ways to engage with other birders around the world.
Filled with fun facts and seasoned advice, this useful book will help you attract birds to your backyard, master bird identification, name a bird by its song, and witness the magic of migration. Sidebars feature fun facts, identification tips, and easy projects for exploring the world on the wing.
For everyone who loves watching the birds, whether out the window or on the trail, this colorful, easy-to-use guide to better birding has everything you need.
About the Author:
NOAH STRYCKER is associate editor of Birding magazine and the author of five books, including National Geographic’s Birds of the Photo Ark and, with Jonathan Alderfer, Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America. A research scientist specializing in penguins in Antarctica, he has studied birds worldwide and guides expedition cruises to Antarctica and the Arctic, spreading the inspiration of birds from pole to pole. In 2015, he set a world record by seeing 6,042 species of birds–more than half the birds on Earth–in one year. Strycker writes, lectures, and lives near Eugene, Oregon, between field seasons.
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You can order Birding Basics on Amazon.com
My Opinion:
I love to watch and feed the birds. Having guidebooks on hand to help me identify the visitors is vital to my learning what birds are joining the fray and can sometimes show when ranges are extending; like when a blue jay showed up at my feeders in Montana!
This is a basic guidebook and perfect for the beginning birder in your life. It offers a breakdown of the various backyard birds and how to identify them as they drop into your yard or the trees in the neighborhood.
Since it’s from National Geographic you will find a lot of bright, beautiful photographs of the birds being featured so as to make identifying them easier. I loved living in Montana as it did afford me the opportunity to see a lot of magnificent birds, like this bald eagle the would regularly sit in the tree on our lot watching the river for a fishing opportunity.
Now that I live in a city my birdwatching is more of the sparrow and cardinal variety but I am not complaining. I love hearing their happy chirps as they visit my feeder and with my guidebook I can easily identify and birds that are new to me. I keep it handy so I can learn as I watch. It would make a great gift for the new birder in your life.
Rating:
5
