Most serious identification guides assume you can examine the plumage of a bird in hand. Peterson has shown that an observer in the field can learn to identify birds by using distinctive key features...field marks, such as a stripe on the face, the color of the breast, or white tail feathers. This is a workbook. It contains specific questions and exercises, requiring you to look at certain points in the field guides or to go out and make certain observations. This workbook prepares you for going birding and helps beginners develop a sense of accomplishment and progress. With each chapter covering a different aspect of bird watching, the author guides readers along a threefold path...1) learning how to really see birds, 2) how to sort birds by category and 3) how to learn the easiest birds first. Exercises include analyzing what types of food birds' bills are adapted for and sketching the shapes of birds in different categories. Quiz questions ask readers to identify what type of duck feeds by tipping its rear end up in the air and extending its neck downward, or to identify a small brownish bird clinging to a weed stalk and picking out seeds. Plenty of room is provided for writing and sketching with answers supplied in the back of this terrific, interactive book.
