Kaufman Field Guide To Nature Of The Midwest

by Kenn Kaufman, Kimberly Kaufman, Jeffrey P. Sayre

The only field guide to bring along to identify the birds, mammals, trees, wildflowers, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, mushrooms, ferns, rocks, and sky of the Midwest

Even if we focus on certain things in the outdoors, most of us are curious about everything else that might turn up. Serious birders, botanists, and entomologists all have their specialized guides, but this book is the guide to “everything else"—the one guide to take when you go out for a walk. Wow, that’s a cool-looking mushroom. Wonder what it is. Hey, look at that weird insect.

Birds, mammals, trees, wildflowers, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, mushrooms, ferns, grasses, even constellations overhead and rocks underfoot—it’s all here. With authoritative yet broad coverage, nontechnical language, and more than two thousand color photographs, this book is an essential reference for nature lovers living in or visiting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Genres: Nature, Reference, Science, Nonfiction, Field Guides, Birds, Plants

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2015

About the author

Kenn Kaufman (born 1954) is an American author, artist, naturalist, and conservationist, with a particular focus on birds.

Born in South Bend, Indiana, Kaufman started birding at the age of six. When he was nine, his family moved to Wichita, Kansas, where his fascination with birds intensified. At age sixteen, inspired by birding pioneers such as Roger Tory Peterson, he dropped out of high school and spent several years hitchhiking around North America in pursuit of birds. This adventure eventually was recorded in a memoir, Kingbird Highway.

Thereafter he spent several years as a professional leader of nature tours, taking groups of birders to all seven continents. In 1984 he began working as an editor and consultant on birds for the National Audubon Society, a connection that continues to this day. Gradually he transitioned from tour leading to a full-time focus on writing, editing, and illustrating, always on nature subjects. His first major book, the Peterson Field Guide to Advanced Birding, was published in 1990. This was followed by another dozen books, including seven titles in his own series of Kaufman Field Guides. His next book, The Birds That Audubon Missed, is scheduled for publication in May 2024.

Currently, Kaufman devotes most of his time to writing books and painting bird portraits. His paintings have been juried into several prestigious exhibitions. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society, a recipient of the Eisenmann Medal from the Linnaean Society of New York, and the only person to have received the American Birding Association's lifetime achievement award twice.

Kaufman resides in Oak Harbor, Ohio with his wife, Kimberly Kaufman, also a dedicated naturalist. Kenn and Kimberly mostly work on separate projects, but they collaborate as the "birding experts" for the popular Birds & Blooms Magazine.

Reviews

[Joe Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used on our trip to Cuyahoga and Mammoth Cave National Parks. A great guide for fast identification with quick tips for differentiating commonly confused species.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous informational book about plants, animals, stars of the Midwest. Great gift.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book six stars if I could! I've had this for a couple of years and it has become the one book to bring anytime I go out in a natural setting. In one easy to carry and easy to use volume it covers the nature of the Midwest (defined for the purpose of the book as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio). It has sections on birds, mammals, trees, wildflowers, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, mushrooms, ferns, grasses, rocks, and constellations! Obviously this one book does not have the depth that a book on each of those subjects would have, but that's kind of the point. I have a broad interest in nature so when I set out for the woods there's no telling what will catch my eye. To be truly prepared I would need 10+ books in my bag, or else shrug my shoulders at whatever unexpected thing I found. Kaufman Field Guide to the Nature of the Midwest is a fantastic all-around field guide!

[Chelsea Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic starter guide on the most common things you're likely to see and notice when out and about! Great for adults and kids of all ages. Succinct info with useful details to differentiate the most common insects, trees, plants and animals. Interesting and useful enough that I'll pack it along on hikes if I'm only going to take one book. If you go out ID'ing plants, trees, bees, or birds specifically, you'll definitely need another book (for example, there's only ONE page on "wasps, bees, and ants), but great for anyone who loves hiking or nature, especially with their kids

[William Schram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated guide to nature in the Midwestern United States. It is pocket-sized and has convenient color-coded pages to aid in finding information.

I don't know if a phone would be more convenient in our modern times, but this book works without batteries or a cellular connection, so it has that.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This field guide covers it all. From constellations to crickets with everything in-between. There is a mention of toxicity (like with hemlock) at times. An addition metadata on edible/toxic would be appreciated.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tackles the impossible tasks of having a field guide to everything that you can still carry with you, and does so quite well. Great information, maps, and images.

[Emily P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and useful information. Very helpful for my Field Bio class.

[mousesparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean and accessible information on plants and animals, this is an excellent reference for identification. There is also a section in the forward on constellations and planets. There is little information on native ranges of wildlife, instead focusing on current ranges, which is fine but not my area of interest. The illustrations are photographs of all the various species which are well edited though I prefer paintings or drawings.