Product Review: The Warbler Guide, by Tom Stephenson
and Scott Whittle
This hefty photographic compendium provides a novel approach at the
identification of the amazing technicolor myriad of North American Warblers. It
is most unlike previous works on this genera and is putatively designed to help
you quickly and confidently identify the species, as well as age and gender any
warbler you encounter in the United States and Canada. Although nicely sized, it
is far from being a field guide, weighing in at over a kilogram ! In light of
its target goal, the two authors have included the following sections - Visual
Finders, Song and Call Finders, a Topographic Tour and What to notice on a
Warbler, the Species Accounts, Ageing and Sexing sections and Vocalisations.
Utilising a number of icons and key terms, the introductory chapter actually
extends to an overwhelming 137 pages, highlighting virtually everything you ever
need to know about the genera - the photographic reference material is simply
sumptuous. What was most intriguing (as well as informative and highly detailed)
was the 'understanding sonograms' section, this alone running to over 40 pages,
whilst the 'Visual Finder Guides' on pages 101-115 were particularly
useful.
The largest chunk of the tomb is reserved for the detailed accounts of each
species of warbler that breeds in the New World, each depicted and presented in
alphabetical order (from American Redstart to Yellow-throated Warbler). On
average, six pages are devoted to each species, the first with between two and
eight images highlighting each plumage, followed by a multitude of smaller
additional photographs highlighting the salient features and depicting the
species in a myriad of postures. This was very impressive indeed, highly
illuminating, and incorporating additional pages on ageing and sexing,
distribution in summer and winter and an exhaustive section on vocabulary. Where
sexes differ greatly, as with the Black-throated Blue Warbler or American
Redstart, the female is treated completely separately and given equal space.
With so many images crammed into a confined space, there is little room for
text, but the authors have chosen to concentrate on known field characteristics
and differences, and notes companioning 'additional photos' easily make up for
any shortfall. For me, this was an extremely good selling point, the detail
included being of an ample and highly workable nature. I soon found myself
picking the book up again and again, not least to study the Cape May Warbler
insertion.
Following Yellow-throated Warbler is the insertion of a further seven
species (Crescent-chested, Fan-tailed, Golden-crowned, Rufous-capped and
Slate-throated Warblers, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat and Tropical Parula) -
vagrants from the tropical regions to the Mexican border (primarily to Texas
& Arizona) and each given a two-page spread. Yellow-breasted Chat and Olive
Warbler are also featured too, both once being considered as 'warblers'.
In summary, I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially if you
visit the likes of North America on a regular basis or wish to become familiar
with the genus from a UK vagrant perspective. It is also available at an
incredibly cheap price - £19.95 - and is published by Princeton University
Press.
Lee G R Evans
