I have the following Guides listed in order of my usage when in the Field.
Western Sibley Guide published 2003
Sibley's has a two-page layout on the inside cover showing more
views of the sparrow with its parts named. These drawings are repeated
in a special seven-page "bird topography" section. The sparrow is
shown, as well as, a gull, sandpiper, and duck. Also, it establishes
the Color Key for the Range Maps which are included on the same page
where the bird is shown. It uses only color drawings/paintings of each
species. It also includes some rare birds, exotics, and escapees which
might be seen. It doesn't provide as extensive descriptive test as some of the following Guides but provides ample enough with each picture. It also does not have a checklist for recording the birds observed. I use this one more as a inside Guide but even though it is a Western Guide I do often carry it to the Field in case I need to double check against my usual Guide.
Birds of North American a Golden Field Guide published 2001
I use this the most as a Field Guide. I like it because it is not Region specific and shows all of N .Am birds and could be useful should I come upon a bird outside of its normal range. I ordered this Online as a used book because it was the book that I grew up using from about 4th Grade. The paperback lasted about 20yrs until I wore the covers off of it and it came apart about. It opens with a Color Kep to the Range Maps. It also includes a Sonagram that depictes each bird's song pattern. It includes the one-page drawing of the sparrow topography which names the parts of the bird which is used in the descriptive text that accompanies the individual drawings/paintings of the birds. It includes a number of Family "headshots" of birds such as sparrows and warblers. It also has side by side comparsion of immature gulls in flight and winter plumage sandpipers. It does not have a checklist for recording the birds observed.
Western Peterson's Guide published 1961
Though I am not sure what more recent editions of the Peterson's has, it opens with 'roadside silhouetes" of 30 common but different shaped birds ranging from a pheasant to a swift. It includes a checklist for recording when the birds that are covered by the Guide are seen. It also has a one page black and white drawing of a sparrow showing the names of the parts of the birds body and wings. This is a good training aid and has the terminology that most Guides use in describing indentifying marks of a bird. It mixes black and white drawings, as well as, color plates of the birds. In addition, comparative sketches are used to help separate similar looking members of the same Family. And finally, the identifying marks on each species is indicated on the drawings/paintings. One defect that it has is that the distributions of the birds are described and not visually depicted with a range map.
Audubon Society Fieldd Guide to North American Birds (Eastern) pub1977.
It opens with about 12-pages of silhouetes arranged by Families. The Guide uses actual photographs of the real birds from the Field. Sometimes this can be helpful because the pictures often appear just like you would actually see the bird in Field, Other times it is not as helpful particularly with the sandpipers. A painted picture will emphasis the different shades or subtle patterns better. It has the same defect as the above Guide in that it the distributions of the birds are described and not visually depicted with a range map. Although it does have very descriptive text. It does provide a checklist for recording the birds that are observed.
Hope that this will be some help. There are many more Guides. You might want to check some from the Library and compare the features or go to a good bookstore where you can see several different ones to compare.
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