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The Bottom Line

Warblers are highly sought after birds, but can be challenging even for experienced birders to identify at different times of year. With The Warbler Guide at their side, however, birders no longer need to be frustrated by these birds, as this one book serves as a comprehensive tool for recognizing and confidently identifying warblers, no matter what their species, gender, age or plumage.


Without reservation, this book is a must-have for every birder's library.

Pros

• Amazingly comprehensive with general warbler information as well as detailed profiles of 61 North American warbler species.
• Includes more than 1,000 photos, illustrations, maps and sonograms, most with informative captions.
• Summary quizzes allow readers to test their skills and provide guided practice for warbler identification.

Cons

• Unwieldy size and weight for convenient field use, but superb as a study guide and identification reference.
• While superbly comprehensive, this book may be overwhelming for novice or casual birders, but still has enough basic information to help any birder become more familiar and comfortable with warblers.

Description

• Title: The Warbler Guide
• Authors: Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: July 2013
• Format: Softcover
• Bird Artwork: Photographs
• Dimensions: 8.7" (22.0 cm) tall, 6.5" (16.5 cm) wide, 1.5" (3.75 cm) thick
• Page Count: 560
• ISBN: 978-0-691-15482-4

• Price: $29.95 (USD)

Review - The Warbler Guide

Colorful and energetic, warblers are enjoyable birds that many birders eagerly watch for every spring and summer, but because they prefer to stay in leafy trees and rarely sit still for long, it can be difficult to get a clear view of these small birds. This can make identification tricky and frustrating, but no longer – The Warbler Guide not only provides comprehensive information about warblers with a focus on proper identification, but it does so in every way a birder might see one of these birds in the field. But this guide goes well beyond giving just enough information for identification – it is the go-to guide for anything a birder wants to know about North American warblers.

This 560-page book is packed with useful information from cover to cover, starting with the inside flap of the front cover which features a key to the range maps, sonograms and abbreviations used throughout the book, and continuing to the surprisingly brief index. The pages between are astonishing for their thoroughness and birders should carefully review the How to Use This Book section (pages 6-11), which covers the icons, key terms and principle book sections so readers can better absorb the information presented. The detailed, two-page parts of a warbler diagram (pages 12-13) is useful for a review of bird anatomy specifically as it applies to warblers, and additional diagrams of specific parts and different views (pages 14-15) help further distinguish warblers and highlight what birders need to focus when watching these birds.

Once birders are familiar with warbler parts, the What to Notice on a Warbler section (pages 16-55) helps readers focus even more deliberately on the exact field marks that can help with warbler identification. Dozens of photos cover color, markings, size, behavior, bill shape and color, tail and more, and some similar non-warbler species are included for comparison and thoroughness.

The sonograms included with each species profile are one of the most unique features of The Warbler Guide. Birding by ear can be a valuable skill for finding and identifying warblers, and these sound graphs can help birders understand the cadence, pitch and tone of different calls, as well as how songs are sequenced. Detailed analysis and instruction on interpreting sonograms is presented before the bird species profiles, helping readers build confidence for using the information accurately.

A series of Quick Finder references (pages 100-113) provide easy comparison of faces, full side views, 45-degree angle views, undersides and spring and fall plumages to help readers quickly compare species. Additional comparison charts of sonograms and undertail covert diagrams are also provided.

With so much information presented covering warblers in general, it's astonishing how much readers can learn before even looking at a single bird profile. Those profiles are just as comprehensive as all the introductory information, however, and include details such as:

• Common and scientific names
• Icons for quick information
• Dozens of photos of different angles, postures and behaviors
• Key field marks, including notes of which marks are diagnostic for identification
• Discussion of age, sex, range and general spring and fall migration timing
• Color-coded range maps
• Song and call sonograms

Throughout each profile, comparative species are presented with brief discussions of how to tell the different birds apart easily and confidently. More thorough profiles of similar non-warbler species are provided at the end of the species profiles, discussing why these birds aren't warblers and how to avoid confusing them. Kinglets, verdins, gnatcatchers, chickadees, vireos and sparrows are included for these comparisons.

After learning so much from this book, readers can put their new skills into immediate practice with a series of quizzes (pages 526-533). These photos offer readers the opportunity to stretch their warbler-knowledge wings, and are presented with thorough explanations to serve as additional teaching tools.

All told, The Warbler Guide is a comprehensive volume of everything warbler, and while that may be overwhelming to casual or inexperienced birders, the wealth of information presented in this one book should guarantee it a place of honor on every birder's bookshelf. Even beginning birders can learn a great deal, and both intermediate and experienced birders can sharpen every aspect of their warbler knowledge in these pages.

Looking for a thorough but less intimidating warbler book? Try the Stokes Field Guide to Warblers!



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.