Birds of North America

by Herbert S. Zim, Bertel Bruun

Brief descriptions and illustrations help to identify 650 species of birds in North America, with information on characteristics, range maps, and song patterns.

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

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Herbert Spencer Zim (July 12, 1909 – December 5, 1994) was a naturalist, author, editor and also known as the fonder and editor in chief of the Golden Guides series of nature books. He wrote or edited more than one hundred scientific books, and in a thirty-year career teaching in the public schools introduced laboratory instruction into elementary school science. He is best known as the founder in 1945, of the Golden Guides, pocket-size introductions for children to such subjects as fossils, zoology, microscopy, rocks and minerals, codes and secret writings, trees, wildflowers, dinosaurs, navigation and more. He was the sole or co-author for many of the books, which were valued for their clarity, accuracy and attractive presentation helped by the illustrations of James Gordon Irving. He continued to work on the Golden Guides series until Alzheimer's disease forced him to slow down in the 1990s. He died in 1994 at Plantation Key, Florida.

Reviews

[Allie Traestar]

This is the best bird book ever. It is in a order in which it is easy to find the bird you seek. You can see all the defining marks on the bird in full color, without any individual oddities like you get with pictures. The bird paintings also have all the plumage variations, and are usually grouped with other birds of similar color, within reason (example; all the grey warblers with yellow bellies are together.) I have yet to find a book it's equal that has both it's practical use and beauty.

[Jim Minick]

First birding book I ever owned.

[Andria Potter]

A truly excellent field guide for beginners or experts. Full of details, bright drawings, and facts about birds. This edition is from 1966, and I highly recommend it. A fun read for all ages. 5 ⭐

[K]

At age 10, I read it cover-to-cover during the long hours of cross-country driving between national parks on a family camping vacation. More than any other thing, this book turned me into a lifelong birder, so it obviously has a special place in my heart.
It was a huge improvement over the mostly black-and-white Peterson edition of that time, co-locating the text & range maps w/ the pictures, and using the color for the range maps like the Golden Guide.
Also it covers east & west and sticks to strict taxonomic order, so it's a great teaching tool as well.

[Scott]

of all the bird books out there, i feel this is the best you can get.

[Jeff Shaner]

Of all the bird books this is one of the best, seek it, find it!

[Desiree Reads]

A lovely field guide from my neighbor’s (Millie’s) house clean-out. Looking forward to using it! It even has some newspaper clippings she pit in it, regarding peregrine falcons.

[Jim]

I bought Birds of North America, popularly known as the Golden Guide, the year it came out, when I was 6, and it's still my go-to guide.

This edition - illustrated by Arthur Singer - has been out of print for several years, and in the birding world it has been out of fashion for considerably longer. From an ornithological perspective it is indeed a little bit out-of-date. Several species (though not too many) have changed names or been split or clumped together since 1966. Standard species order has shifted a little. And some of today's power birders want to see more species or plumage variations depicted.

For general use, though, this book is still very useful. It is also, in my opinion, the most pleasing bird book to use. Arthur Singer was easily one of the very best ornithological artists of the 20th century, and, for my money, unmatched in the consistency, finesse, and artfulness of his field guide illustrations. The birds he paints are identifiable - carefully simplified and posed - but "feel" real and present in a way the birds in other field guides just don't.

Singer's birds have been something close to living companions for most of my life - I still enjoy seeing them when I open up the book. Peterson, Sibley, and many of the other illustrators have done excellent work, but their birds do not have the magic that inspires fondness. I have of course used other field guides, but I've never seen them as anything but supplementary.

This book can still be found used, often in good condition. It makes a great first guide for any beginner or low-key birder and also belongs in the collection of any serious lover of birds and bird art.

[Bob]

Compact, revolutionary when published. I still like it for:
-sonagrams which picture the songs as they would appear on an oscilloscope - an aid to remembering, when you don't have a device to play the songs/calls or don't want to take the time
- isochronal lines on range maps to show migration timing.

[Rick]

Great starter ID guide. Includes migration schedules, song transcriptions, and juvenile identification. There may be stronger guides out there but this has served me well for many years.

[Alison]

My talisman! Unfortunately I've had to stop taking it out into the field, because the edition I have is now too out of date, but I will always keep this one.

[Lucie]

I found the updated most recent release.

[Liam Motley]

Companion guide for life. Bought at EV books for $2. Looked at my pictures and leafed through it after Utah, Alberta, Central Park, Florida, AMNH, and will be taking it everywhere I go in the continent

A guide that makes you pay closer attention to reality. Can’t wait to use it on the prairies

[Brandon]

I loved this book just cause when I went to Colorado I had that book to help me find out the different kinds of birds that were local there! Another thing that I like about this book is it is just helpful when your bird watching it’s easy access and understandable to read .I recommend this book to bird lovers and bird watchers!

[Gale Bailey]

This book was a gift from my folks, my first birding book. I’ve been hooked on birds ever since! Read it so much the binding cracked and the book fell apart. My current bird book receives the same TLC and has lasted much longer. This is out of print, or otherwise I would highly recommend this edition, but every home should have at least one bird guide!

[Barbara]

I love birds and this book has really helped me identify and learn about the birds in my neighborhood. The size allows you to pack it into your purse or bag so that you always have it handy. This is my Bird Bible!

[Nancy]

Great guide for identifying your backyard feathered friends.

[Robin Ferguson]

This is my go to bird book of all time!

[Moira Mackinnon]

I always preferred this this to the Petersen Field Guide, I found it much easier to use.

[Staci]

We absolutely love this guide! Birds of North America has been such a valuable resource in our homeschool. It’s well-organized, easy to use, and packed with information that’s both educational and engaging.

My son especially enjoys flipping through it to identify birds we see in our yard or on walks—he gets so excited when he can match a bird to the pictures in the book. Speaking of the pictures, they’re fantastic: clear, detailed, and super helpful for spotting key features like color patterns and size.

The range of species covered is impressive, and the descriptions include just enough detail without being overwhelming. It’s been a great tool for encouraging curiosity about nature and learning more about the world around us.

If you’re looking for a reliable, user-friendly bird guide for your home or homeschool, I highly recommend this one!

[Kristin Eoff]

I bought the 1983 version of this book, with the blue cover, in the late 1980s when I took an introductory ornithology class in college. That class introduced me to a lifelong hobby of birding as I felt the thrill of using the book to identify my first unknown bird, a cedar waxwing. That book has served me well for almost 40 years now, and its dog-eared corners show how it has become an old friend to me, complete with my tiny notations penciled in the index to record which birds I've seen and where. This copy is out of date now but will always be my trusty favorite. Two nice things about this book are its modest size, which makes it fit easily into one's hands, and its checkboxes in the index, just waiting to be ticked off.

[Foxtower]

This book has so many great illustrations it's fun just to look trough it! Unfortunately as far a accurately idetifying which sparrow I'm actually looking at... well, not so much. The book includes little maps that indicate where each species typically live so at the very least I won't identify a western sparrow as in my Eastern back yard.

[Belle Meade School]

598.2

[Sara]

Used this book extensively during a year-long naturalist’s course, and for the rest of my life. A great compact guide, important if you have to carry a pack!

[Neill Vanhinsberg]

Like the previous edition, best North American bird guide, rivaled only by the Nat Geo guide which I believe was first published in 1983 as well. Both better than Peterson.

[2Tall]

My go-to bird book. Comprehensive enough, great size for carrying along, and easy to find things in.

[Joe Archer]

Neat and compact, but differentiating similar species is difficult with the given illustrations and information.

[Brett Silv]

Exceptional illustrations

[zoe k]

Reading this and seeing birds that are now extinct 💔💔💔💔

[Christopher Bonatis]

I am become encyclopedia, identifier of birds.