Brian L. Sullivan – författare

Better Birding reveals the techniques expert birders use to identify a wide array of bird species in the field--quickly and easily. Featuring hundreds of stunning photos and composite plates throughout, this book simplifies identification by organizing the birds you see into groupings and offering strategies specifically tailored to each group. Skill building focuses not just on traditional elements such as plumage, but also on creating a context around each bird, including habitat, behavior, and taxonomy--parts so integral to every bird's identity but often glossed over by typical field guides. Critical background information is provided for each group, enabling you to approach bird identification with a wide-angle view, using your eyes, brain, and binoculars more strategically, resulting in a more organized approach to learning birds. Better Birding puts the thrill of expert bird identification within your reach.* Reveals the techniques used by expert birders for quick and easy identification* Simplifies identification with strategies tailored to different groupings of birds* Features hundreds of photos and composite plates that illustrate the different techniques* Fosters a wide-angle approach to field birding* Provides a foundation for building stronger birding skills

The Bird Guide is a landmark field guide to the birds of North America, combining unmatched illustration, field expertise, and modern data to redefine how birds are identified and understoodPublished in association with the Cornell Lab of OrnithologyRepresenting a new era in bird identification, The Bird Guide illustrates North America’s spectacular avifauna in unparalleled depth, precision, and beauty. The written accounts provide an unprecedented view of birds, bringing together decades of field expertise with insights drawn from billions of bird observations, photos, sounds, and videos contributed by birders to the Cornell Lab’s eBird project and Macaulay Library. Designed to work with the digital tools that have introduced millions of people to birding, this guide delivers an experience no screen can replicate: side-by-side comparisons of similar species, quick access to key field marks, and detailed facing-page accounts that train the eye and sharpen field identification skills.Covers 818 regularly occurring species and 158 rare visitors across the United States and CanadaFeatures more than 7,000 illustrations covering plumage, age, sex, and subspecies and hundreds of vignettes showing birds in habitatIntuitively designed ID plates and facing-page text allow side-by-side comparison of similar species and provide deep ID context that is impossible to achieve on mobile screensComprehensive “Sounds” sections offer expert guidance for interpreting vocalizations and separating confusing speciesComplements the strengths of the Merlin Bird ID app, bridging page and smartphone in a field-ready system for sound IDeBird integration includes global nomenclature, including subspecies, across the guide and Merlin, ensuring ease of identification and data sharingDistribution maps powered by eBird data transform millions of observations into new insights about bird distribution and abundanceThe Bird Guide brings together a world-class team that fuses decades of unsurpassed field expertise with incomparable artistry. Brian L. Sullivan and Christopher Wood are leaders of eBird. Tour leading and teaching have made Michael O’Brien a legendary birder, and North America’s premier bird sound expert. Prolific author and international tour leader Steve N. G. Howell’s uncompromising field expertise has shaped modern bird identification. Paired with the artistic mastery of Ian Lewington and Lorenzo Starnini, two of the world’s finest bird illustrators, The Bird Guide is the most comprehensive, beautifully illustrated, and technologically integrated field guide to North American birds ever produced.

Two-thirds of our planet lies out of sight of land, just offshore beyond the horizon. What wildlife might you find out there? And how might you identify what you see? This Offshore Sea Life ID Guide, designed for quick use on day trips off the West Coast, helps you put a name to what you see, from whales and dolphins to albatrosses, turtles, and even flyingfish. Carefully crafted color plates show species as they typically appear at sea, and expert text highlights identification features. This user-friendly field guide is essential for anyone going out on a whale-watching or birding trip, and provides a handy gateway to the wonders of the ocean. * First state-of-the-art pocket guide to offshore sea life* Over 300 photos used to create composite plates * Includes whales, dolphins, sea lions, birds, sharks, turtles, flyingfish, and more* Accessible and informative text reveals what to look for * Great for beginners and experts alike

Two-thirds of our planet lies out of sight of land, just offshore beyond the horizon. What wildlife might you see out there? This handy guide, designed for quick use on day trips off the East Coast, helps you put a name to what you find, from whales and dolphins to shearwaters, turtles, and even flying fish. Carefully crafted color plates show species as they typically appear at sea, and expert text highlights identification features. Essential for anyone heading out on a whale-watching or birding trip, this guidebook provides a handy gateway to the wonders of the ocean. * Over 100 color photos and composite plates* Includes whales, dolphins, birds, sharks, turtles, flying fish, and more*Accessible and informative text reveals what to look for* Great for beginners and experts alike

“The birding equivalent of having Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking teach you how to count, add, subtract, multiply, and comprehend quantum mechanics.” —Pete Dunne, author of Birds of Prey Identifying birds can be overwhelming. Where and how do you start? The good news is that most people already know more than they realize about birds, which can greatly simplify the identification process. Written in a helpful, conversational style and illustrated with numerous photos, this “12-step program” starts with the basics and builds logically into a manageable framework that enables anyone to get into, or get more out of, the world of watching, identifying, and enjoying birds.“Identifying birds is a science and an art. These leading masters of the craft share a wealth of inside knowledge in this gem of a book. If you’re a birder at any level of experience, I guarantee this book will improve your skills in the field.” —Kenn Kaufman, author of The Birds That Audubon Missed“If you are going to have a book-based conversation with bird experts about identification, Howell and Sullivan are going to be at the top of the list. . . . a highly opinionated book reflecting the approach and thoughts of the authors. Which is exactly what makes it a book that all birders should read, consult, and maybe even, like me, read again.” —Donna Schulman, 10,000 Birds“This book is friendly, non-intimidating, and even humorous. New birders can acquire some basics from this handy little book, and experienced birders can pick up some vital pointers, especially useful when helping the uninitiated.” —Paul J. Baicich and Wayne Petersen, The Birding Community E-Bulletin

The first compact field guide to offshore sea life of the West CoastTwo-thirds of our planet lies out of sight of land, just offshore beyond the horizon. What wildlife might you find out there? And how might you identify what you see? This Offshore Sea Life ID Guide, designed for quick use on day trips off the West Coast, helps you put a name to what you see, from whales and dolphins to albatrosses, turtles, and even flyingfish. Carefully crafted color plates show species as they typically appear at sea, and expert text highlights identification features. This user-friendly field guide is essential for anyone going out on a whale-watching or birding trip, and provides a handy gateway to the wonders of the ocean.

First state-of-the-art pocket guide to offshore sea lifeOver 300 photos used to create composite platesIncludes whales, dolphins, sea lions, birds, sharks, turtles, flyingfish, and moreAccessible and informative text reveals what to look forGreat for beginners and experts alike

The first compact field guide to offshore sea life of the East CoastTwo-thirds of our planet lies out of sight of land, just offshore beyond the horizon. What wildlife might you see out there? This handy guide, designed for quick use on day trips off the East Coast, helps you put a name to what you find, from whales and dolphins to shearwaters, turtles, and even flying fish. Carefully crafted color plates show species as they typically appear at sea, and expert text highlights identification features. Essential for anyone heading out on a whale-watching or birding trip, this guidebook provides a handy gateway to the wonders of the ocean.

Over 100 color photos and composite platesIncludes whales, dolphins, birds, sharks, turtles, flying fish, and moreAccessible and informative text reveals what to look forGreat for beginners and experts alike