Scientifically accurate illustrations and essays guide the bird watcher in identifying and locating more than 570 common and rare species. This book is the product of 16 writers and 22 artists and consists of over 450 page-length species accounts which feature a high-quality color painting, a half-page anecdotal narrative essay, a range map, a drawing, plus small sections detailing the bird’s identification, habitat, and food. Smaller accounts (three per page) for 117 scarcer birds follow the full-page ones. Appended is a 40-page section with thumbnail sketches of the best birding areas in the United States and Canada. This is not a reference book for seasoned birders but will serve admirably as an informal source of selected, basic information on 600 species, the ones most likely to be seen in North America.