A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada

"[...]I would say that this is the best guide to North American sparrows that utilizes paintings, being slightly better than Sparrows and Buntings, by Byers, Curson, and Olsson. The artwork is very similar, but I think Beadle’s work here is slightly more appealing. Sparrows and Buntings does have more extensive text and also covers Europe, Africa, Asia, and some tropical species. But that additional material, along with the hardcover binding, makes it impractical to use in the field. [A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada] is also a little more up-to-date and has better range maps.[...]"
– Grant McCreary (02-03-2008), read the full review at The Birder's Library

"Rising's first-hand experience with the North American sparrows is apparent, especially so in his sections on voice, habits, and habitat. I highly recommend Sparrows of the United States and Canada to all birders and field ornithologists with any interest in these birds. It contains up-to-date information [...] as well as some of the best available illustrations of this difficult-to-identify group of birds, and all at a very reasonable price."
– Guy McCaskie, Birding

"The plates are, on balance, excellent, and the text is informative and easy to read."
– Jon L. Dunn, Birding World

"The quality of the plates is excellent [...] I highly recommend this excellent book."
– Colin Bradshaw, British Birds

"In the future, I doubt that I will head into the field without [this guide] [...] [The color plates] are beautiful, and they complement the text descriptions [...] This book offers North American birders all that they need and a little more."
– G Chilton, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

"A birder's book in every sense of the word [...] [A] 'coming of age' of experienced birding [...] The book will be of immense value to both beginning and experience birders faced with the challenge of sparrow identification."
– Barry Kent MacKay, Toronto Star

"An excellent companion for any birder with an interest in the sparrows of North America."
– Tim Harris, Birdwatch

"If you are interested in the finer points of identification, or love sparrows, or have been driven slightly crazy by them, this book will be a welcome addition to your library."
– Birdwatcher's Digest