After you have learned the names of the birds, if you are a thoughtful person, you become interested in their way of life, travels, ecology, populations, psychology, or whatever teases your curiosity... Roger Tory Peterson

{HISTORY}

If you picked up a bird identification field guide anytime in the last 100 years, chances are you would recognize the name Roger Tory Peterson. As our modern-day equivalent to the artistic talents of John James Audubon, Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996) was responsible for creating interest and enthusiasm in the birdwatching community with his detailed avian art and influential nature identification guides. 

Roger's A Field Guide to Western Birds was first published in 1941 and featured all birds found in the western half of the United States from California to West Texas and Washington State to Western North Dakota. Twenty years later, he revised his Western Birds again with this edition in 1961, adding more color plates, expanding the territory coverage to include Hawaii, Alaska and Canada and adding all new illustrations.  

Containing over 1200 illustrations with information on over 740 species found in this section of the world, the 1961 edition of A Field Guide To Western Birds was an exciting revision in that it not only contained more art but also included all the tropical birds of Hawaii too. An exotic study for anyone living in landlocked Kansas or Nebraska who had never seen such island species before,or for anyone who had never traveled outside the contiguous United States, Roger introduced a whole new set of birds to nature enthusiasts. 

Simple, straightforward, and easy to use, Roger's field guides made it fun and interesting for everyone to become a bird watcher. He filled his books with detailed drawings, notes on unique characteristics, and imagery of groupings of similar birds, based on location first and species second, with color plate drawings to help identify male, female, and juvenile stages. Other handy information could also be found about bird songs, territories, migrations, and in this book imparticlar lists of birds on the near extinction list. A ruler printed on the back coverboard helped offer precise measurements and perspective when viewing a bird in the wild. Fun facts about each bird, a checklist for personal sightings, and Roger's signature friendly, conversational writing style added interest and character to each of his avian subjects.

A third edition of A Field Guide To Western Birds was published in 1990 and included the birds of Mexico, making this title in Roger's vast birding book catalog an especially fun one to collect since each revision included a new territory. 

Roger's love of birding began in childhood and he credits his interest in nature and the avian species with keeping him out of a life of trouble and rambunctious delinquency.  He never dreamed his first bird book, A Field Guide to the Birds, published in 1934, would become such a popular guide., but it wouldn't have mattered much to Roger anyway if it did not sell well in the first place. He would have carried on his passion for painting and observing the natural world regardless.

As the author and/or editor of over 50 wildlife books, this passion for birds and nature stayed with him his entire life, making a career not only as an artist, writer and naturalist but as a conservationist too. Throughout his lifetime, he promoted ways to protect bird species, encouraged habitat sustainability and helped improve wildlands for the protection of birds around the country. He pursued these endeavors with such vigor he became not only an expert in the field but also the most trusted resource too. His efforts earned him the Presential Medal of Freedom granted by President Jimmy Carter and numerous other awards throughout his career including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- 1961  Edition, First Printing 

- Contains 366 pages

- Illustrated throughout with color and black and art by Roger Tory Peterson

{CONDITION}

In lovely, vintage condition this field guide is bright and clean throughout. The original dust jacket has been reinforced on the interior with archival paper to prevent further chipping along the top edge. The front coverboard contains slight discoloration along the crease line. The spine is tight, but is pulling away just a bit from the title page. All pages are secure and intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 7.5" inches (length) x 4.75" inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs 1.3 lbs.

{MORE FROM ROGER}

Find more of Roger Tory Peterson's work in the shop here.