For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Now that the American Birding Association has expanded its species Checklist to include Hawaii, the Peterson Guide is the first edition to include the wonderful and exotic species of our fiftieth state. In addition, the text and range maps have been updated, and much of the art has been touched up to reflect current knowledge.
Roger Tory Peterson was one of the world's greatest naturalists. Updates to this second edition include contributions by Peter Pyle, Michael DiGiorgio, Paul Lehman, and Larry Rosche.
"[...] I can see myself referring to this new guide much more often than I did the Eastern. However, the treatment for some difficult groups (most especially the gulls) is lacking, and some important plumages and other images are missing (such as the female Eastern Bluebird, as mentioned in the comparison). Thus, as a reference I would rank this a bit below other recent field guides. But for me, the showcasing of Peterson’s art compensates for this, and makes it well worth having."
- Grant McCreary (30-07-2008), read the full review at The Birder's Library