Comments on: Your next bird book: The Crossley ID Guide (Eastern Birds)

By: Anne McCormack

Anne McCormack — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:10:55 +0000

I really like the guide too, and though those dioramas seem distracting or cluttered at first, if you give it some time, the unique features of this book come into focus. Glancing at the book at a meeting or in the book store is not enough to do it justice, as I wrote in my review. I definitely agree with Greg that everyone needs more than one bird identification book!

By: cyberthrush

cyberthrush — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:08:13 +0000

not specifically just for the Pacific NW, but yes Crossley is doing a ‘western’ version of the field guide, as well as some other area editions.
I generally love the volume myself for reasons I won’t re-state here, but will mention that I think most people are so focused on the overpowering artwork that they’re missing just how good the actual text portions are (some of the best of any field guide I think).

By: John

John — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:26:51 +0000

Is there something like this for the Pacific NW?

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:29:01 +0000

Markk, I would agree that this is the opposite of Peterson, but that is why I like it. Peterson, as I’ve said, is produced in the language of birders … stylized systematically keyed species. It recognizes that the best way to identify a bird is not really in a line-up or by a realistic representation.

Nonetheless, Crossley gives a set of views and depictions that in fact show things we see in real life but that are not in the idealized book. I’ve always said you should have more then one bird book, and none of them should be that older style photographic book (the original Audubon guies, etc.).

But yes, I can easily see that this would be a love vs hate thing for many birders.

Hadlee, no it didn’t in this case. I’m still waiting for the difficult ID to come along to see how that goes!

By: Markk

Markk — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:02:43 +0000

I love the look of this book. It is a great art book. =BUT=

For me, it is terrible as a bird book. Just the opposite of Peterson. I got to look at it at my bird club. It was definitely a love it or hate it experience for our members.

The photos give me that dizzy feeling when that I also get I watch badly shot HD TV. Or early Computer realistic graphics. I think the pictures kind of fall into that eerie valley like human CGI figures.

By: Hadlee

Hadlee — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:07:47 +0000

Did the guide cause you to revise your identification of the Bald Eagle?

By: Benton Jackson

Benton Jackson — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:50:06 +0000

I agree, this book is fantastic. I think it’s biggest use will be as a study book. You can get the “feel” for a bird by looking at these pictures. I think that’s more important than field marks.