As to what I think of as the “Great Field Guide Controversy,” my own preference in an actual field guide–one that really is intended for use in the field, that is–is for one where the similar-looking birds are grouped together for ready reference, as opposed to one where similarly-appearing species might be widely separated because of their taxonomy. The reason for this is simple: the people who regularly use field guides in the field are typically comparatively new to birding, and are much more concerned about naming a species correctly in the first place than they are about the nuances of its taxonomic position.

Roger Tory Peterson knew this very well, and his plate of the White-throated Swift and Violet-green Swallow is a prime example. These birds aren’t closely related, of course, but for a new birder who sees them only briefly and possibly imperfectly they can be confusing, and Peterson wanted a direct comparison to facilitate separation. Once a new birder gains some ID experience, and can relinquish the security blanket of constant reference to a field guide, there’ll be plenty of time to look into the birds’ actual taxonomy and evolution.

I had to throw out a whole lecture, dammit.

I’ve gotta say, Greg, most birders I know, at least the halfway serious ones, pay WAY more attention to evolution than the general public.

Since we are both speaking from experience, we are both unreliable sources. Personally, I have no idea. I do know that the word “evolution” does not appear in many places it should in the dozens of birder-oriented books on my shelf. This may be a matter of what publishers are concerned with more than the actual birders’ view.