The 9 Best Roger Tory Peterson Field Guides To Bird (2023 reviews)

If you want nothing short of the best possible guide for your daily usage, this product is certainly a worthy investment. It is a point of major divergence, as Peterson's puts the range maps in the back of the book, separate from the illustrations of each bird. It is well organized and provides good information about what features to look at in a bird in order to identify tricky species. The notes that accompany each species are a wealth of information, not just a rehash of the features that are visualized in the picture. It also highlights characteristic features which is really helpful.

There is a map for each bird's location, and if the bird is migratory where it winters. The birds look much more natural and the colors are way more accurate than in either Sibley or National Geographic. It is nice that it has information about which birds are similar to the bird you're looking at to help identify them more accurately.

Why We Like This:

Nicely presented, easily followed, great art and color photos
Can play tricks and make the birds look different than they really are
Detailed drawing are included for every species so coloring patterns can be easily seen

Best For photographers: Roger Tory Peterson Best Field Guide

Buy on Amazon

For a low asking price, roger tory peterson best field guide has managed to overwhelm their customers by packing as many features as they could. There are many field guide options, and every birder has a favorite. The new edition of Peterson's Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central Nortg America is excellent and in keeping with a long tradition of satisfying both beginning and veteran birders. The illustrations are clear, and show different aspects, ie, immature birds, winter/summer foliage, male and female species. It is a great reference for bird watchers and photographers.

The hand drawn pictures of the birds are beautiful and have identifying marks and other characteristics clearly defined. The pictures are vibrant, and the book is a little larger than the last one so it isn’t as convenient to carry. It is perfect for travel in north america. It will make you a better birder.

Why We Like This:

Plastic cover will preserve it on hikes
Very informative and easy to follow
Classic most basic and useful of bird guides

Best For novice Birders: Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide To Bird

Buy on Amazon

If you are looking to buy a suitable guide for your daily purpose, you cannot go wrong with this pick. This mature guide is easy to use and to see the most important field marks on all the birds of north america. It combines the Eastern and Western North America guides into one volume, and adds the bonus of birds in the Hawaiian Islands. It allows the book to lie flat. It is reminiscent of older style bird books that provide lots of additional information specific to a particular bird or group of birds. Its sturdy binding with glossy pages will withstand many looks within over the years.

The way these birds have been grouped into endemic and introduced species really drives home the effect of non-native specie introduction. This edition also retains the extra pages showing some species in flight, making the identification of raptors, shorebirds, gulls and others even easier. The drawings and arrow points to distinctions to look for are another quick useful tool.

Why We Like This:

A must have for any casual watcher/researcher
More propping open a book while look through the binoculars
Great descriptions with excellent explanations to distinguish closely related birds
Good identification photos, drawings and notations

Best For Bird watch: Roger Tory Peterson Guide

Buy on Amazon

The roger tory peterson peterson guide's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. It is too time consuming for inexperienced bird watchers to locate birds in the field. This is a beautifully illustrated guide to identifying and learning habits, preferreddiet & migration patterns of birds in north america. It does have beautiful illustrations of every bird. The paintings are for the most part the exact same as earlier editions, with frequent rearrangements (digitally performed) to account for the East/West combination and taxonomy modifications.

This combined edition is complete and includes birds from the East and West and is updated for newly introduced species. There are range maps next to each entry but there is a large portion at the end of the book dedicated to range maps for subspecies. The drawn images are pristine with arrows pointing out the distinctives of individual birds. The increased size means that the plates are less crowded, and the art can be reproduced in a larger size.

Why We Like This:

Good for those who don’t know much to learn a lot
Would be heavy to carry in the field
Very short tail, completely colored and striped underbody

Best For senior or visually Impaired individuals: Roger Tory Peterson large print

Buy on Amazon

Roger Tory Peterson has been making great guide for years, thanks to a combination of clever design and appropriate materials. The advantage of really good drawings over photographs is that individual birds can differ so you may not see a match as easily. It is easy to identify and other books work fine, especially if it's a common bird. It is best for identifying birds. The large format makes identifying birds much easier and quicker.

The book is mostly colored drawings showing several birds to a page with their expected location maps and a few key facts. The detail in the large scale images are also a bonus for someone who's not seen dozens of birds of one species. It includes so many types, great drawings, comparisons and arrows pointing out what specifically to look for, it's the best first place to look. It is easy to read, and the illustrations are decent quality.

Why We Like This:

Great book for people with vision issues
Large print is perfect for switching from binoculars to identifying details
Very well organized, very informative, and the larger pictures are easy on the eyes
Easier print and pictures than the other books

Best Field Guide: Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide

Buy on Amazon

Next on the list, we've got yet another product that manages to win our hearts. It's the roger tory peterson field guide and it's widely considered as product that has the most suitable features. As with previous Peterson bird books, this is a beautiful, fully illustrated edition. It is one of the best guides for birding the west. The cover is a thicker soft cover. It's well-organized, easy to understand, and contains detailed information. This book is perfect for anyone starting out in bird watching.

Why We Like This:

A wonderful field guides for birders of all levels
Great illustrations, useful maps, and organized by bird type
Best organized and informative bird guide

Best For any Backyard Birder: Roger Tory Peterson Great Guide

Buy on Amazon

If you often find yourself scrambling for convenient and suitable guide, this product should be your first option for buying. Individuals who mostly feed birds and watch in and around their homes will find the RTP Field Guide to Feeder Birds East of The Rockies an excellent guide for identification of those birds attracted to their feeders. It has excellent drawings of birds that might come to ones feeders and not every bird in north america.

This one has birds by family or type on each page, with notes about what they like to eat. They added some information about what each bird will be attracted to eat, and it has the range maps of course. It’s a simplified and has great visuals. It's filled with suggestions on how to attract certain birds with the right feeders and food. It is an excellent beginner's guide and highly recommended.

Why We Like This:

Easy to look through and find what you need
Perfect for beginning birders, or for those just interested in back yard feeding
Delivers what they promise

Best For advanced Birder: Roger Tory Peterson Bird Guide

Buy on Amazon

The roger tory peterson bird guide is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your regular usage. The National Geographic guide includes some wonderfully modeled bird specimens with incredible detail that can only be produced digitally. It is compact with a world of information easy to research. It is easy to use, organized into logical sections, and is as complete as most people would ever need. It is an invaluable aid when traveling.

It is well-organized and is a perfect take-along size. It provides for easy comparison between birds of the same family.

The National Geographic guide may be a slightly more suitable choice for the advanced birder, though birders of all levels would be delighted with this guide.

Why We Like This:

Excellent field guide for beginner to intermediate birder
Lightweight with a durable cover making it easy to carry into the field
Delivers what they promise

Best For beginning To intermediate Birders: Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide

Buy on Amazon

We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate guide. The product is exactly that - it's a simple product that hits all the right notes. The Peterson field guide to western birds covers nearly 600 species on 176 color plates, with 588 comprehensive range maps, now included with the illustrations. It is best for beginning to intermediate birders and are, as always, wonderful for teachers and trip leaders.

Why We Like This: