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Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds :: 0618236481
Description
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| In this book, bursting with more information than any field guide could hold, the well-known author and birder Pete Dunne introduces readers to the "Cape May School," or GISS, method of identification, which focuses on a bird holistically, giving more weight to the general impression of the bird than to specific field marks. After determining the most likely possibilities by considering such factors as habitat and season, the birder uses characteristics such as size, shape, behavior, flight pattern, and vocalizations to identify a bird. The book provides an arsenal of additional hints and helpful clues to guide a birder when, even after a review of a field guide, the identification still hangs in the balance. This supplement to field guides shares the knowledge and skills that expert birders bring to identification challenges. Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
Reviews
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Author: Guest
This field guide companion looks stark at first, with no pictures, but that is part of the point. With many fine field guides available, this is meant to supplement them, and in no way replace them. The necessarily brief descriptions of a field guide are nicely fleshed out in this volume, which is best suited to browsing after returning from the field, or for thumbing through when you can't get out into the field. The best addition to my stay-at-home birding library since Ehrlich, Dobkin & Wheye's "The Birder's Handbook."
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Author: Guest
Peter Dunnes unique comments, perspective & observations make this book interesting to read yet very informative. His approach to identification gives you additional yet simplistic help.
I did not look at the condition of the book until the return time had expired. I was disappointed that the last section of the Index was cut improperly. I could not find a contact email to complain. The book should be replaced. If you read this I hope you will arrange to replace the book.
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Author: Guest
This companion to my field guides has no pictures other than word pictures. It uses GISS (General Impression of Size and Shape) style of birding. Why is this important I can give a recent example. Here in New York City we had a Common Loon on the Reservoir. One birder reported a male and a female Common Loon, but was incorrect. It turned out to be the Common Loon and a Double Crested Cormorant. The difference was very obvious by using GISS but the mistaken birder was using feather birding and the bird was far away. This is a very useful guide. I would ask readers to read a sample page and decide for themselfs
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Author: Guest
Excellent and valuable book, no doubt. And Pete Dunne is a pretty nice guy (I've birded with him).
However...his writing *does* have this smarmy tone. Yes, he probably *does* know everything, but his writing makes you sure you understand that. Hard to pick a specific page since I don't have the book in front of me. But pick almost any page -- through Amazon's random thingie? -- and you may see what I mean. However, he does manage to slyly insult two famous, but dead, birders in the introduction! Nice. (NOT)
In addition, will someone puh-leeze tell Pete Dunne that his continued use of the word "noisome" to describe loud birds is wrong, wrong, wrong?
The word means "offensive," and generally implies malodorous or stinky. It does NOT mean loud!
My guess: No one dares edit his work for fear they'll disturb his distinctive know-it-all style. Sigh.
P.S. I found at least one factual error. In New England, at least, Yellow Warblers are generally found singing high in trees, though rarely at the top, not "close to the ground" as Dunne has it.
P.P.S. To correct a previous post, this book is not meant as a field guide but as an added resource that covers stuff field guides cannot show you.
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Author: Guest
Pete Dunne's latest tome, Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, has been reviewed several times by various bloggers already including here, here, and here. After receiving this book for a birthday present a few weeks ago, I thought I would throw my $.02 in.
As everyone knows, this book has no photos. I'm ok with that. I understand that the point of the book is to explain the "Cape May School" of birding, otherwise known as the "GISS" method. I think the book accomplishes its goals with some minor flaws. As a somewhat experienced birder, I think the most useful purpose for this guide is to learn some of the nuances of the more difficult to separate species such as the Empidonax and Myiarchus flycatchers, kingbirds, Catharus thrushes, gulls, fall warblers, etc. Learning to distinguish these species can help advance a birder's field skills immensely. Pete's detailed descriptions of the species are a true companion to your Sibley guide. You can sit with your field guide by your side and read the descriptions and really see the differences. Also, some of the species accounts have a section called "Pertinent Particulars" that I found especially useful. This section gives helpful hints on distinguishing the bird from similar species or just some general tips on identifying it.
My biggest complaint about the book are the silly names that Pete has given to some of the birds. Some of them are useful, but some seem like he was trying too hard to find a name for the bird or the name seems very personal to the author. The Ninja Heron for Tricolored Heron? Twig Fairy for Blue-gray Gnatcatcher? Peterson's Woodpecker for Northern Flicker? "A Busy, Jerky, Single-minded Little Bird" = American Pipit. Huh?
My only other complaint is the length of the book. If it truly is a field guide companion then he possibly could have left out the range descriptions completely or at least shortened them. That information can easily be found in a field guide.
I salute the intent behind this book and all of the work that Pete Dunne put into it. I'm sure I will be referencing it periodically.
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