The ROM Field Guide to Birds of Ontario

This is a great book for people who want to walk around in Ontario's nature and feel a desire to identify the birds they encounter. The guide claims it contains all species observed in Ontario. How true this is, I can't tell. I haven't seen all the birds in Ontario yet ^_^. Nevertheless, it is most definitely a very complete guide. This is a photo-book, no drawings. Some people...more

This is a great book for people who want to walk around in Ontario's nature and feel a desire to identify the birds they encounter. The guide claims it contains all species observed in Ontario. How true this is, I can't tell. I haven't seen all the birds in Ontario yet ^_^. Nevertheless, it is most definitely a very complete guide. This is a photo-book, no drawings. Some people like that, others don't. I love it. I profoundly distrust drawings. While they often show what should be there, one is never sure if what one sees is mere embellishment, artistic freedom, or an actual element to look for. Sure enough, pictures have their drawbacks too. Colours can be misleading, but anyone with half a brain can easily compensate for that. Worse is that birds of the same species do differ enormously, just as humans and any other living creatures do. So, some latitude in interpreting what one sees is required. I would love to give this guide a higher rating, but it does lack certain pictures that make it hard for the layman to use the guide. During a walk at the Humber River, I had encountered a new bird species, based on its absence from the guide. Fortunately, I had taken some pictures. When I came home and scoured the Internet, I realized I had seen a juvenile black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), a rather common bird here in Toronto. In conclusion, I do wholeheartedly recommend this guide.   hide