"Birders thrill to see rarities. This superb book covers 262 rare species, featuring Ian Lewington's unsurpassed artistry in 275 color plates. Species accounts discuss patterns of vagrancy, identification, seasons, regions, and migration."--
Library Journal starred review"If you're a serious birder, there should already be a slot for this book on your shelf, since no other guide has ever filled this niche. . . . With the help of this book, I might grab 15 minutes of fame for finding the next great rarity."--
Kirby Adams, National Parks Traveler"[A] pleasure to read."--
Matt Merritt, Birdwatching Magazine"This book is . . . a guaranteed winner and not just for a North American readership. Put together by a superbly qualified team, it is both authoritative and attractive. For the lister, identification enthusiast, migration student and general birdwatcher, it brings to life a whole continent of avian excitement. Birds are always amazing and surprising us, pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible and exploding the myths and stories we so carefully create about them. This book is a fitting tribute to their continuing capacity to inspire and confound."--
Andy Stoddart, Rare Bird Alert"All bird identification books should be this good."--
Jim Williams, Minneapolis Star Tribune"The authors' sifting of bird-sighting records for a period covering some six decades is impressive. Detailed accounts of 262 species comprise the bulk of the book. Lewington's lovely color illustrations are supported by the sort of information one expects to find in bird guides (e.g., key identification features, taxonomy, distribution, similar species, behaviors, etc.). . . . That we are enjoying a 'golden age of bird [book] publishing,' as another reviewer in these pages has said, is clearly exemplified by this work. The birding hobby's growing popularity means that its fervent fringe of 'life-listers' is growing, too, and for them, or anyone with an eye for the unusual, this book will surely tantalize."--
Robert Eagan, Library Journal"This was the book my birding friends, in fact all North American birders who are fascinated by vagrants, have been waiting for. It is a book that embraces identification and analysis of avian rarities and vagrancy patterns throughout the United States and Canada with an enthusiasm and devotion to statistical, geographic, and ornithological detail that will both delight and challenge birders. . . .
Rare Birds of North America is a significant addition to our birding literature."--
Donna Schulman, 10,000 Birds"I don't use this language often but this really is a 'must-have' book if you're one of those birders that chases, wants to chase, or just wait on the edge of your seat for the next rarity to show up on the Aleutians or St. Paul."--
Cory Gregory, See You At Sunrise"If you have a hankering for understanding, or finding out more about some of the rarities that we profile on a monthly basis,
Rare Birds of North America is the book for you. This is a unique and beautifully illustrated guide. . . . As a primer for understanding vagrancy and migration, the introduction is remarkable. . . .
Rare Birds of North America should enrich the field experience of those interested in finding and observing rare birds, and it should serve as an encouragement to all."--
Birding Community E-Bulletin"
Rare Birds of North America is worth every cent of its $35 price tag and deserves to find its way on the bookshelves of every North American birder plus a few other bookshelves elsewhere in the world."--
David Lindo, Urban Birder"
Rare Birds of North America provides unparalleled insights into vagrancy and avian migration, and will enrich the birding experience of anyone interested in finding and observing rare birds."--
Carrie Laben, Nature Travel Network"This book fills a much needed niche. A lot of filed guides have 'Accidental' species and that is what we have relied on in the past for identification of these birds. But now there is a comprehensive treatise on vagrants in North America and I recommend it for your library."--
William Saur, Passionate Birder"A technical tour de force."--
Gabriel Thoumi, Mongabay.com