Opposite the illustrations, the guide has a block of text describing each species. Does it rely too much on words?
Some field guides lean more heavily on illustrations than text; ours strikes a balance. Jon Dunn, the primary author of our text descriptions, is one of the best birders in North America, and he has a talent for succinctly conveying his encyclopedic knowledge.
In what medium do the artists work?
Most use a combination of transparent and opaque watercolors, and their original works are about twice the size of the printed plates.
How detailed are the illustrations?
I would say that generally we try to match the details a birder would see when looking at a fairly close bird through high-quality binoculars. In my kingbird plate (page 299), I added distant views that show the patterns of flying birds. In the two species at the bottom of that plate, I illustrated the tips of the primary feathers as they'd appear through a spotting scope.
In some of the best guides, one person does the writing and illustrating—Roger Tory Peterson and David Allen Sibley are the best-known examples. The National Geographic guide, however, contains the work of 21 artists. How do you achieve a consistent look with so many contributors?
Every plate has roughly the same number of images, and there's usually some indication of habitat—branches, leaves, grass, sand, water. Our artists have similar styles, they depict a similar degree of detail, and they know they're part of a collaborative work. Before going ahead with a painting, they submit sketches for approval. All the images of a single species must be visually unified, and every such grouping must be sufficiently isolated from the groupings of adjacent species. This makes for a consistent visual presentation.
What bird guides do you admire?
I started with a Peterson guide but don't look at it much now, because the advanced information that interests me is better presented elsewhere. Beginners and intermediate birders, however, can gain a lot from Peterson. James Coe's Eastern Birds is a terrific starting guide to the more common species—too bad there isn't a companion guide to the West. I find The Sibley Guide to Birds very useful—David Sibley is a very good artist, he knows North American birds really well, and he's able to present what he knows, including geographic variations within a species. Peter Pyle's Identification Guide to North American Passerines, written mainly for bird banders, has detailed information on determining the sex and age of perching birds. Birds of Europe by Killian Mullarney and others has excellent annotated art with very well-written text—it's one of the best field guides.
Who is the audience for the National Geographic guide?
Because it covers all of North America and includes lots of information on rare birds, I would say it's aimed at the intermediate to advanced birder.
How do you explain the guide's success?
A lot of people are interested in birds. People who see birds around their houses want a field guide, and National Geographic's is a very good one. When it first came out, it was the guide to have if you were a moderately serious birder, and I think that's still true for anyone who wants a guide that's equally strong textually and artistically.
Do you feel competitive with other guides?
I'm more competitive with myself. With each new painting, I want to surpass my previous efforts. I have my own ideas about what a page of bird illustrations should look like, but there's room for other approaches. I wish everybody else good luck; we all have our audiences.
Recent Bird Stories by National Geographic News:
Farmers, Conservationists Seek Return of Barn Owls
Seasons of a Birder's Life
Do Some Birds Cheat to Avoid Inbreeding?
Water-Diversion Plan Threatens California's Salton Sea
National Geographic Bird Resources:
Bald Eagles: Come Back From the Brink
Experience the Sights and Sounds of Eagles
Recent "Birder's Journal" Stories from Robert Winkler:
Birder's Journal: Ghost Town's Curse Haunts New England Forest
Birder's Journal: A Morning With Migrants
Birder's Journal: This Warbler Is a Master of Deception Birder's Journal: Seduced by Dueling Thrushes
Birders Journal: Attack of the Flying Goshawk
Nationalgeographic.com Bird-Watching Sites:
Boston Area
Chicago Area
Florida Keys Area
Maine's Acadia National Park
Mount Rainier
New Orleans Area
New York City Area
North Carolina's Outer Banks
Philadelphia Area
Portland Area
Rocky Mountain National Park
Salt Lake City Area
San Francisco Area
Santa Fe Area
South Dakota's Black Hills
Utah
Washington's Olympic National Park
Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yosemite National Park
From the National Geographic Store:
Guide to North American Birds
Portable Birdsong Identifier
Birder's Journal
Songbirds Puzzle
Additional Information from Related Web Sites:
American Bird Conservancy
Fish and Wildlife Service Bird Web Site
National Audubon Society
Environmental Protection Agency: Bird Conservation
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