Items14The creator’s order
  1. 1The Sibley Guide to BirdsThe Sibley Guide to BirdsSibley's painted views make it easy to compare birds in different plumages and positions. Look at similar birds side by side before you go out, then check the color-coded range maps for the season. The full North American volume is better at the kitchen table than in a coat pocket.0
  2. 2Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North AmericaKaufman Field Guide to Birds of North AmericaIf you are learning to use a field guide while the bird is still in sight, start here. Images based on photographs, short accounts, and range maps face each other. You can glance at the picture, verify a detail, and get back to the bird without turning several pages.0
  3. 3Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North AmericaPeterson Field Guide to Birds of North AmericaPeterson's identification system directs your eye to the marks that separate similar birds. It's a good book for practicing what to notice before you try to remember a name. The second edition is the one to choose if you also want the added Hawaiian plates.0
  4. 4National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and CanadaNational Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and CanadaReach for the eighth edition when you have a plausible identification and want to check the range. Its updated maps use eBird data, and the annotated artwork offers a second way to test a guess. The scope in the title matters if you're choosing it for travel.0
  5. 5Collins Bird GuideCollins Bird GuidePack the third edition for birds in Britain and continental Europe. The illustrations show major plumages beside a distribution map. If the adult breeding bird looks obvious on a plate, try identifying the same species in a different plumage before you head out.0
  6. 6Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North AmericaPeterson Field Guide to Mammals of North AmericaReid's guide helps narrow the possibilities after a short look at a mammal. Start with the region and habitat, then compare the painted animals with the shape and markings you noticed. For an animal you never saw and know only from a print or a dropping, reach for a dedicated tracking guide.0
  7. 7Mammal Tracks & SignMammal Tracks & SignWhen the mammal is gone, the spacing and pattern of several tracks can show more than a single print. Elbroch and Casey McFarland give you photos and drawings to compare. The second edition also covers trails and scat, so a clue does not have to look like a neat footprint to be useful.0
  8. 8The Kingdon Field Guide to African MammalsThe Kingdon Field Guide to African MammalsThe second edition works well for reading up on African land mammals before a trip, including groups you are unlikely to know by sight. Its group introductions help you place an animal before you try for the species. Some difficult small-mammal groups are covered at genus level.0
  9. 9Britain’s MammalsBritain’s MammalsMost mammal encounters are brief or happen after dark. This guide to Great Britain and Ireland includes illustrated signs as well as the animals, so you can go back to a place and look for what you missed. It also covers established introduced and reintroduced animals.0
  10. 10Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North AmericaPeterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North AmericaGood for checking whether an identification fits the local range. The fourth edition combines distribution maps with drawings that call attention to key characters. It covers both reptiles and amphibians, so it earns its place if you look for frogs at a pond and turtles on its banks.0