Book Note: The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of North America

Birder and writer Bill Thompson III has produced a new paperback edition of The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of North America. This book builds on his 2008 book, The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, which I reviewed at the time. These guides are aimed to engage young birders and help them learn the most common bird species before using a standard guide that might overwhelm them with information. The species accounts are less condensed than a standard field guide and focus on how to find and identify each species, along with unusual facts about their natural history. The new edition follows the same format as the 2008 edition, but it adds 100 western species to broaden the book's appeal.