Whatbird.com

I'm new as well and recently went to the local bookstore and compared quite a few field guides...peterson's...sibley's...kauffman's and the Smithsonian.

Loved the Smithsonian guide...even included a CD with 587 calls for 140 different species...you can download to computer and upload to an ipod to take into field which might help with ID.

Just a thought

I bought the "used" Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America a few years ago over the Internet.  I just did a Search for the book I wanted and then took the best price.  I bought it before taking a trip to Yellowstone in 2006.

I also have the 1961 copyrighted version of A Field Guide to Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson.  I like it and it features his system of identifying key points on a each bird.  However, not all pictures are in color.  But, that may not be a bad thing.

I have the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds.  I have both the Eastern and Western.  These Guides use actual photos of the birds.  They are 1977 copyright version that I think I bought through a book club.

I also have the Golden Field Guide, Birds of North America.  It was published in 2001 and I believe it was about $16.  This is the full 359 page Guide and not the kid's guide of just common birds.  I sought this one out in an attempt to find a copy of the book that I had used beginning in the 60's.  I wore the covers off of it and the replacement covers.  It eventually came apart.  

I also have a coffee-table size book with plates of birds painted by Audubon along with a lengthy life history of each bird.

I often use the Golden Field Guide along with one of the Audubon Guides in order if needed to compare the painted picture to a real photo.  Sometimes I take all my Guides but general only carry two.

> Loved the Smithsonian guide

Yep, I bought it specifically for the bird call recordings, though recently I felt the need to buy a more regional specific group of recordings to fill in some gaps.

One thing I like about the Smithsonian is it tells the molt strategy for each bird (simple basic, complex basic, etc), and also the ABA code.

However, although my initial bias was to have a photo-based guide, I now highly prefer Sibley's illustrations to identify birds; I find Sibley more instructive in what to look for, which hones how you look at birds overall, as well as a more useful layout for IDing.

Review of the Petersen guide, with an eye toward the history, is here:  http://birdfreak.com/review-of-peterson-field-guide-to-birds-of-north-america/