WASHINGTON (Oct. 2, 2006)–This November National Geographic is publishing a fully revised and updated fifth edition of its No. 1 bestseller, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (National Geographic Books; ISBN 1-7922-5314-0; Nov. 7, 2006; $24), a flagship volume that has set the standard in its category for nearly a quarter-century.
Co-edited by leading bird experts Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer, this is the ultimate, indispensable bird field guide — comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy and easier than ever to use. It is the essential reference for bird identification and the cornerstone of any birder’s library.
Following the latest American Ornithologists’ Union classification, it provides extensive information on every species officially recorded in North America — more than 960 in all, classified in some 80 families and including a new section on accidental birds.
Other elements and improvements that enhance the book’s reference value and allow birders to sharpen their edge include:
- Some 4,000 full-color illustrations by the foremost bird artists at work today and hundreds of updated range maps drawing on the latest data.
- Reader-friendly features such a
as handy thumbtabs that make locating key sections faster and easier, and a quick-find index to direct users swiftly to the information they need.
- More durable cover for added protection against adverse weather plus informative, quick-reference cover flaps that double as placeholders.
An ideal companion volume is the new NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRDER’S JOURNAL (National Geographic Books; ISBN 1-4262-0005-6; Nov. 7, 2006; $16.95), also available this fall. Organized by family, this one-of-a-kind journal mirrors the layout of the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA and includes black-and-white reproductions of artwork from the FIELD GUIDE. It provides a consistent, familiar format for recording the place, date and time a bird was spotted, with additional space for notes, comments, sketches and other details. With each new entry it becomes more valuable and personal, both as a chronicle of birding accomplishments and a memento of observations and occasions that make birding so satisfying.
Another exciting new birding product from National Geographic is a multimedia software program, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HANDHELD BIRDS, the first digital field guide to North American birds, in a PDA format. Created by innovative software developer PullUln, National Geographic Handheld Birds includes more than 1,600 bird images and 650-plus range maps from the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA as well as other detailed bird information such as family, features, plumage, similar species, habitat, conservation, voice, foraging and reproduction.
The software also features nearly four hours of bird songs and calls from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to assist with rapid identification in the field.
Birding is the fastest-growing wildlife-related outdoor activity in the United States, with estimates ranging from 46 million to 85 million participants. According to The New York Times, some authorities predict more than 127 million birders by 2050.
###