National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Pennsylvania

About this book

City and country birds populate this book. Some soar through the Poconos, but many can be seen in the shadow of bustling Philadelphia or Pittsburgh: Outside Philly, identify the Yellow-billed Cuckoo by its brilliant lower mandible and staccato kuk-kuk-kuk! The Snow Goose, with its pink bill and "grinning patch" migrates in spring and fall across the state's eastern border. The stunning Red-Tailed Hawk, with its unmistakably coloured tail and bloomer-like leg-feathers soars on thermals north of Reading. The whiskered, olive-hued Acadian Flycatcher is a common species; it darts from its perch to grab prey in woodlands and swamps throughout the state. Ironic that its call is a quiet Peace!

This guide groups birds by family rather than alphabetically, as approved by the American Ornithological Association. A quick-reference alphabetical guide on the inside cover provides an easy way to find a name quickly.

Each entry has a vivid photograph showing the bird in its native habitat. On the facing page, a list of bulleted points confirms at a glance the bird's identity. These field ID clues note the bird's size, colour, beak and wing shape, markings, song, flight pattern, habitat, and hotspots in which to find them. Special field facts highlighted at the bottom of each entry give additional information about what to look for in the bird's behavior, and detailed maps show the range of each bird's habitat.

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