The popularity of birding in our region sparked the release of two new birding books with nearly identical titles by major regional publishers. “Birds of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Guide” by Tom Aversa, Richard Cannings, and Hal Opperman was published in 2016 by the Seattle Audubon Society and the University of Washington Press. In 2017, Timber Press continued their Field Guide series with this book, “Birds of the Pacific Northwest,” by John Shewey and Tim Blount.
Confusing? Yes, and as a minimal birder, I don’t feel qualified to make a recommendation between the two, especially as to my eye there are more similarities than differences. If you are serious about identifying the birds in your garden or on your local travels, you clearly need both books!
The photography is one of the outstanding features of both, and the photos capture a very wide range of species, often with multiple images to show variation in sexes, juveniles, breeding plumage, and other color forms. Throughout there is help with identification between near look-alikes, and the authors address behaviors, bird songs, specifics on where to find rarer birds, and conservation status.
The Timber Press book includes helpful and practical introductions to most species. For example, in discussing the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the Northwestern Crow (C. caurinus) the authors conclude “… they are indistinguishable” and if you want to add the latter to your life list, going to the right location “…is the safe bet.” While on the large size for taking into the field, this book’s heavy cover will help protect it from the weather.
Excerpted from the Fall 2017 Arboretum Bulletin.