Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds by Richard Crossley
The appearance and substance of Crossley ID Guides are unique, innovative
and revolutionary. Produced by once partner-in-crime of mine on Scilly - Richard
Crossley - now residing in the USA at Cape May - it is the first guide to
feature photographs with a backdrop of natural habitat - in all over 10,000 of
the author's photographs being utilised in this remit. It is an interesting
approach and will have its lovers and its haters. For me, I was more interested
in its narrative and its ability to help in one's goal of field identification.
I was pleased to see an array of plumage differences included for each
individual species entry and even more pleased to see the author largely follow
the PSC rather than the more traditional BSC used in most field guides although
rather disappointed to see the lack of treatment (or images) given to the
generally accepted 14 forms of North American Canada Geese and virtually nil
discussion nor images of Melville Island Brant. American Black Duck could have
benefitted from being given more treatment of hybrid forms and overall, general
lack of space offers little chance of realistic identification analysis on any
species on any individual page. However, I like the idea, found it pleasing to
the eye if not a little jumbled and a welcome addition to the New World library.
Redpoll taxonomy seemed confusing and I was not entirely convinced of the
identification of the claimed exilipes redpolls in the plate on page 483 nor of
many of the so-called Common Redpolls - but redpoll taxonomy overall is
confusing and a nightmare in itself anyway. Overall, the general quality of
Richard's images were superb (particularly raptors, waders and New World
warblers) and certainly well chosen and his tips on identification to the point,
accurate albeit brief. Distribution maps too seemed accurate and current.
Creating a digital montage of shots like this is not to everybody's tastes
and against such a busy backdrop of lakes, sea, fields, mudflats and hedgerows,
you could forgive one for being overwhelmed by this guide. Whether or not these
same images would work better on a plain background I do not know but Richard
should be applauded for breaking out into such new ground. It is certainly a
gamble but overall, this is a classic guide - incredibly useful as an
identification aid. I personally found the Kingbird pages most useful, allowing
the browser an opportunity to study the more salient features at close range,
whilst sexing hummingbirds was made far easier with such images.
I have been asked whether the book can be classed as a field or pocket
guide but with the weight of the tomb at around 1.630 kgs, I would have to say
not - unless of course you were willing to carry a rucksack over your shoulder.
A must for the bookshelf though and I very much look forward to reviewing the
other volumes of this pioneering series
The book can be obtained directly from Princeton University Press at the
very reasonable price of £24.95 per copy