I think Sibley's Guide to Birds has great sections on raptors, and you get the rest of the birds thrown in!

Thanks elly, I'll check it out.
Tammy

I have a number of different raptor books. Two of my favorites are Hawks in Flight by Pete Dunne, David Sibley and Clay Sutton and A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by Brian K. Wheeler and William S. Clark.

Richard

Peterson's has a good one, I believe it's just called 'Hawks' (my copy is out on loan so I can't check). Lots of color plates of light and dark phases and a bunch of black and white photos.

-O-

I'd start with the 2 books mentioned by Richard, Hawks in Flight by Pete Dunne, David Sibley and Clay Sutton and A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by Brian K. Wheeler and William S. Clark.

Both are excellent books and would help you ID raptors both on ground and in air.

Raptors of Eastern (Western) North America is sometimes called The Wheeler Guide and the latest edition came out in 2003. This guide will be more text than photos, so you will also want a good guide with more numerous photos.

For a photo guide, I would choose another raptor book by Brian Wheeler & William Clark titled "A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors" (as mentioned above by Richard)with a foreward by Pete Dunne.

Using these 2 books by Wheeler together you will learn much.

If I had to buy just ONE book to help ID hawks, it would be "Hawks from Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors In Flight" by Jerry Liguori, with a foreward by David Sibley. Fantastic book with about equal amounts of photos & text, and like the title says, it shows you photographs of hawks from every angle you might see them in the air.

Then, to have a book I could thumb through to learn all sorts of different and interesting facts about raptors, including types of info you might not find in field guides, I would buy "The Raptor Almanac: A Comprehensive Guide to Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, and Vultures" by Scott Weidensaul. This is a large volume with text and beautiful photographic work, as well as lots of charts and notes and illustrations.

There are also 2 DVDs I would buy...

"Hawk Watch" A Video Guide to.. Eastern (or Western) Raptors" by Walton & Dodge. I have the updated version, remastered & revised for DVD with new footage. This is a menu driven format and also includes a slide show quiz. Pete Dunne called this DVD, "the next best thing to being there."

Another DVD .. "World of Raptors" narrated by Joanne Woodward and presented by Morley Nelson, an international raptor authority. This DVD includes a complete field reference ID guide .. close-up photography .. detailed graphics & maps

For easy, on the spot reference in the field, I would get some Peterson flash guides, which are laminated, fold-out guides with photos & text printed on both sides. These will show you the most common raptors foundin your area, and probably 90% of the time will be sufficient to give you an ID of what you are looking at. These fold up somewhat like road maps but have a heavy, plastic type lamination which makes them easier to handle and waterproof. I live in NY,so I have the "Eastern Trailside Birds" flash guide and several others I carry in my car, tucked behind a sun visor, within easy reach.

On computer, you can always go to eNature.com and find plenty of free info. Or for $40 annual fee you can go to a more comprehensive site, Cornell's Lab of Ornithology North American Birds website.

If you are on a budget, you could go to Amazon.com and do a Search on the titles mentioned and look up some used book prices.

For some great sale prices on birding books and field guides, go the the Nature.Net Bird Watching forum and look for a post I sent of that title.

Gail R (WNY)

Thanks everyone for your input! I forgot I had posted this question on the raptor forum because I'm usually just on the bluebird forum. I really appreciate all your advice and will look into these books.
Tammy

I checked out from my library system every one of the books that you all recommended. I should be getting them soon. I thought it would be better to look at all of them first before purchasing one. So, I've put your recommendations to good use. I just feel bad that no one else in my area will be able to get any info on Hawks for the next month. :) THANKS
Tammy