--- product_id: 4971438 title: "The Shorebird Guide" price: "S/.190" currency: PEN in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pe/products/4971438-the-shorebird-guide store_origin: PE region: Peru --- # The Shorebird Guide **Price:** S/.190 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Shorebird Guide - **How much does it cost?** S/.190 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pe](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/4971438-the-shorebird-guide) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description An all-new holistic approach to identifying shorebirds. Join the experts in birding by impression, a revolutionary approach to bird identification. Experienced birders use the most easily observed characteristics — size, structure, behavior, and general color patterns — to identify birds even before looking carefully at plumage details. Now birders at all levels can learn how to identify shorebirds quickly and simply. This guide includes more than 870 stunning color photographs, starting with a general impression of the species and progressing to more detailed images of the bird throughout its life cycle. Quiz questions in the captions will engage and challenge all birders and help them benefit from this simplified, commonsense approach to identification. Review: Best Learning Tool for Shorebirds - It's too bad that other birds aren't described with as much detail and clarity. The book is superb for a few reasons. 1) Range of photos. If you read the introduction, the point of the book is to help you learn how to identify a shorebird even if you can't identify the primaries, secondaries, etc. They teach you "GISS" -- general impression of shape and size. While this is obviously done by most birders when they see a curlew sitting next to a plover, how many can pick out different species of plovers in sillouette? Some photos are "blurry" or shadowy on purpose. Sometimes the best you can do is to see a flock of birds far off in the distance. Does that mean you should give up? No! 2) Range of plumages. The ability to compare birds in this book is truly its asset. Think about the range of plumages a shorebird could have, and imagine how Sibley or Stokes would incorporate all of the different plumages effectively into a field guide. They can't. Molting details have to be left out for space reasons. This book shows many different molts and covers different races of birds. One of the best pages is a comparison between each stage of plumage between Eastern and Western Willets on the same page. PERFECT. 3) Follow-up. The book has many photos with a question in the caption. "Are all of the Oystercatchers adults?" "What bird is in the background?" Effectively picking out birds is half the battle, and I really appreciate the drills to lock these details into my mind. The answers (with an explanation) are in the back so that you can know if you are right or not. No field guide helps to educate you in such an explicit way. 4) Flow. The book is not inundating you with information like many Peterson guides do. After all, you aren't an expert, (you're looking to become one!). I like to look at the pictures, see what I notice, then read the captions... take a look at some of the other photos... compare... do the "Where's Waldo" thing... You get the idea. The point is that I don't have to imagine the bird using 10 pages of description and one small plate. After birding for almost 20 years, this is the first book that has really made me take a look at primaries and secondaries in isolation, because the photos are stunning and the descriptions are more than helpful. This is the kind of book that you will want to leave on the coffee table but also want to carry with you in the field. Not many books can accomplish that. I just wish they did this for warblers, gulls, hawks, sparrows..... ! Word to the wise: Before buying any book, see if you can find a preview, either via desertcart or google books. Check the index for birds you want so you don't buy this for a range it doesn't cover. After looking at the book online, I was positive I wanted this one. It's even more stunning in person. Best book purchase I've made since the Sibley Guide 11 years ago. Review: Critical Guide to Identifying "Peeps" - If you are searching for a way to improve your birding skills regarding shorebirds, then this may be the guide for you. I have been spending a lot of time at the beach, trying to identify shorebirds and build my skills. I have a Peterson's Guide, which is the best basic guide out there and indispensable because it points out (with arrows) the identifying characteristics of the birds you see. But it is basic and there are a lot of cases where I just am not sure, e.g. is that a Western Sandpiper or Semipalmated Sandpiper? The Shorebird Guide includes excellent photographs, e.g. a dozen for each species, and the photos not only include the target species but also show that bird in relation to other shorebirds with which it may be seen. This is invaluable for getting a better feel for relative sizes and detailed markings which can be used to distinguish a species. The plates are in the beginning section of the guide. Each set of plates starts with a broad description of the species including: size; structure; behavior; and status. A range map is also included. Then, you have about a dozen pictures with captions that include points you should note in identifying the bird. The birds are generally shown both in basic and alternate (breeding) plumages, which is a huge asset. The second section of the book includes details about each species. I do wish (like a lot of other readers) that the detailed descriptions were included/interspersed with the photographs so you would have all the information about a bird in one location. The details are good, though, and include: Status; Taxonomy; Behavior; Migration; Molt; and Vocalizations. It is worth noting that the behavior section does include some of the information, like head bobbing or tail wagging, that makes the Peterson Guide so essential (unlike some guides which fail to note characteristic identifying behavior). So, for example, for the Solitary Sandpiper, the behavior section includes information about the characteristic head bobbing. Please note that not all birds you see at the shore will be included, and the guide focuses on birds seen mostly in North America. The birds included are: Lapwings & Plovers; Oystercatchers; Stilts & Avocets; Sandpipers, Phalaropes, & their Allies; and rarities of those families mentioned. I use a guide to Seawatching for similar details on Gulls, Terns, Jaegers, Kittiwakes, and other pelagic species (the guide uses photographs with detailed descriptions very similar to this book, but for pelagic birds, and has the detailed descriptions alongside the photos). I consider my three guides: Peterson's Guide to North American Birds; The Shorebird Guide; and the Seawatching Guide to be a complete and necessary set if you are serious about identifying birds at the shore. I still consider the Peterson's Guide my primary reference, however, I have to admit that there are birds I would not have been able to accurately identify without the help of The Shorebird Guide (or the Seawatching Guide for Gulls/Terns/etc). If you are serious about birding at the shore, this is a "must have" guide. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #351,312 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #366 in Biology of Wildlife #534 in Outdoors & Nature Reference #556 in Bird Field Guides | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 270 Reviews | ## Images ![The Shorebird Guide - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61n5LtOcskL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best Learning Tool for Shorebirds *by A***Y on March 25, 2011* It's too bad that other birds aren't described with as much detail and clarity. The book is superb for a few reasons. 1) Range of photos. If you read the introduction, the point of the book is to help you learn how to identify a shorebird even if you can't identify the primaries, secondaries, etc. They teach you "GISS" -- general impression of shape and size. While this is obviously done by most birders when they see a curlew sitting next to a plover, how many can pick out different species of plovers in sillouette? Some photos are "blurry" or shadowy on purpose. Sometimes the best you can do is to see a flock of birds far off in the distance. Does that mean you should give up? No! 2) Range of plumages. The ability to compare birds in this book is truly its asset. Think about the range of plumages a shorebird could have, and imagine how Sibley or Stokes would incorporate all of the different plumages effectively into a field guide. They can't. Molting details have to be left out for space reasons. This book shows many different molts and covers different races of birds. One of the best pages is a comparison between each stage of plumage between Eastern and Western Willets on the same page. PERFECT. 3) Follow-up. The book has many photos with a question in the caption. "Are all of the Oystercatchers adults?" "What bird is in the background?" Effectively picking out birds is half the battle, and I really appreciate the drills to lock these details into my mind. The answers (with an explanation) are in the back so that you can know if you are right or not. No field guide helps to educate you in such an explicit way. 4) Flow. The book is not inundating you with information like many Peterson guides do. After all, you aren't an expert, (you're looking to become one!). I like to look at the pictures, see what I notice, then read the captions... take a look at some of the other photos... compare... do the "Where's Waldo" thing... You get the idea. The point is that I don't have to imagine the bird using 10 pages of description and one small plate. After birding for almost 20 years, this is the first book that has really made me take a look at primaries and secondaries in isolation, because the photos are stunning and the descriptions are more than helpful. This is the kind of book that you will want to leave on the coffee table but also want to carry with you in the field. Not many books can accomplish that. I just wish they did this for warblers, gulls, hawks, sparrows..... ! Word to the wise: Before buying any book, see if you can find a preview, either via amazon or google books. Check the index for birds you want so you don't buy this for a range it doesn't cover. After looking at the book online, I was positive I wanted this one. It's even more stunning in person. Best book purchase I've made since the Sibley Guide 11 years ago. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical Guide to Identifying "Peeps" *by A***T on June 7, 2018* If you are searching for a way to improve your birding skills regarding shorebirds, then this may be the guide for you. I have been spending a lot of time at the beach, trying to identify shorebirds and build my skills. I have a Peterson's Guide, which is the best basic guide out there and indispensable because it points out (with arrows) the identifying characteristics of the birds you see. But it is basic and there are a lot of cases where I just am not sure, e.g. is that a Western Sandpiper or Semipalmated Sandpiper? The Shorebird Guide includes excellent photographs, e.g. a dozen for each species, and the photos not only include the target species but also show that bird in relation to other shorebirds with which it may be seen. This is invaluable for getting a better feel for relative sizes and detailed markings which can be used to distinguish a species. The plates are in the beginning section of the guide. Each set of plates starts with a broad description of the species including: size; structure; behavior; and status. A range map is also included. Then, you have about a dozen pictures with captions that include points you should note in identifying the bird. The birds are generally shown both in basic and alternate (breeding) plumages, which is a huge asset. The second section of the book includes details about each species. I do wish (like a lot of other readers) that the detailed descriptions were included/interspersed with the photographs so you would have all the information about a bird in one location. The details are good, though, and include: Status; Taxonomy; Behavior; Migration; Molt; and Vocalizations. It is worth noting that the behavior section does include some of the information, like head bobbing or tail wagging, that makes the Peterson Guide so essential (unlike some guides which fail to note characteristic identifying behavior). So, for example, for the Solitary Sandpiper, the behavior section includes information about the characteristic head bobbing. Please note that not all birds you see at the shore will be included, and the guide focuses on birds seen mostly in North America. The birds included are: Lapwings & Plovers; Oystercatchers; Stilts & Avocets; Sandpipers, Phalaropes, & their Allies; and rarities of those families mentioned. I use a guide to Seawatching for similar details on Gulls, Terns, Jaegers, Kittiwakes, and other pelagic species (the guide uses photographs with detailed descriptions very similar to this book, but for pelagic birds, and has the detailed descriptions alongside the photos). I consider my three guides: Peterson's Guide to North American Birds; The Shorebird Guide; and the Seawatching Guide to be a complete and necessary set if you are serious about identifying birds at the shore. I still consider the Peterson's Guide my primary reference, however, I have to admit that there are birds I would not have been able to accurately identify without the help of The Shorebird Guide (or the Seawatching Guide for Gulls/Terns/etc). If you are serious about birding at the shore, this is a "must have" guide. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Expand your shorebird ID Skills *by P***K on September 6, 2013* This book is packed full information on shorebirds, their life cycles, migration, feeding habits and much more. I particularly like the summary pages in the rear of the book that gave statistical date on species population and trends. Each species has numerous photos and captions that either shows the bird individually or side-by-side with commonly confused species leading to misidentification in the field. I mainly use this guide after a trip to assist in photo review for ID purposes. The guide is limited on information for rare migrants that could be found in North America. The only down side about this guide is that when it comes to similar species the photo comparisons could be placed in a little more of an orderly fashion to show the fine features in both basic and alternate plumage (Western Sandpiper vs Semipalmated and Dowitchers species). --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pe/products/4971438-the-shorebird-guide](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/4971438-the-shorebird-guide) --- *Product available on Desertcart Peru* *Store origin: PE* *Last updated: 2026-06-18*