National Audubon Society Field Guides

Expertly identify wildlife and nature with our iconic line of field guides--including our newly updated titles.

For more than 40 years, the National Audubon Society has proudly released field guides to birds and other relevant subject matter, to continue educating and inspiring more people in their journey enjoying the natural world. We are pleased to have released the first updates to our iconic guides since the early 1990s, each informed by our scientific experts and updated to reflect the conservation struggles we face today. Our two newest guides, Wildflowers and Mushrooms, are publishing April 11, 2023. Learn more about ordering online here and below.

National Audubon Society Birds of North America

Available to order online here or you can visit your local book retailer. 

From the most trusted name in birding--beloved by millions of backyard enthusiasts and experts alike--comes a completely new and definitive guide to the birds of North America: the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date work of its kind.

Developed by the creators of the best-selling Audubon field guides, this handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable reference, it covers more than 800 species, with over 3,500 full-color photographs of birds in their natural habitat, often with four or five images of each species. For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, a robust index, and a ribbon marker, and is arranged according to the American Ornithological Society's latest Checklist of North and Middle American Birds--with birds sorted by taxonomic orders and grouped by family, so that related species are presented together. Range maps, reflecting the impact of climate change, accompany nearly every entry, along with a physical description and information on voice, nesting, habitat, and similar species. This guide also includes an important new category on conservation status and essays by leading scholars in each field who provide holistic insights into the world of birds. Whether trying to determine which owl is interrupting your dinner or successfully identifying all of the warblers that arrive in spring, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any bird lover, and is poised to become the number one guide in the field.

National Audubon Society Trees of North America

Available to order online here or you can visit your local book retailer. 

From the creators of the world's most trusted field guides--a go-to source for millions of nature lovers--comes a completely new and unparalleled reference work: the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date guide to the trees of North America.

This handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable reference, it covers more than 540 species, with nearly 2,500 full-color photographs--including images of the bark, fruit, and flowers, as well as photos that illustrate leaf shape and seasonal color changes. For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, a robust index, and a ribbon marker, and is arranged according to the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification system--with trees sorted by taxonomic orders and grouped by family, so that related species are presented together. Readers will appreciate the crisp detail of the photographs; range maps (reflecting the impact of climate change); physical descriptions; and information on fruit, habitat, uses, and similar species. The guide includes an important new category on conservation status and essays by leading scholars who provide holistic insights into the world of trees. Whether putting a name to the towering conifers spotted along a hike or getting to know the trees that grow in local communities, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any nature lover, and is poised to become the number one guide in the field.
 

NEW SPRING 2023:

National Audubon Society Wildflowers of North America

On-sale April 11, 2023

Available to preorder online here or you can visit your local book retailer. 

 

The most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the wildflowers of North America, updated for the first time in decades to reflect the impact of climate change and the advancements in DNA studies that have radically altered the classification process.

 

This handsome volume, from the world’s most trusted name in nature field guides, is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable resource, it covers 853 species of wildflowers, with nearly 5,200 full-color photographs.

 

For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is organized according to the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV classification system. Each species features up to five vibrant photographs, to aid with identification, along with notes on range, season, flowers, stems, fruit, conservation status, and more. Introductory essays give in-depth explanations of each part of a wildflower, and discuss nomenclature, invasive species, and the impacts of our changing climate.

 

Whether preparing for a scenic hike or getting to know the flowers in the backyard, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any nature lover, and is poised to become the number-one guide in the field.

 

National Audubon Society Mushrooms of North America

On-sale April 11, 2023

Available to preorder online here or you can visit your local book retailer. 

 

The most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the mushrooms of North America, updated for the first time in decades to reflect the impact of climate change and the advancements in DNA sequencing that have radically altered the classification process.

Created by the world’s most trusted name in nature field guides, this handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable resource, with nearly 2,900 full-color photographs, it reveals the astounding variety of forms, colors, and conditions of 668 species of mushrooms that can be found all throughout North America.

 

For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is organized according to the latest phylogenetic arrangement from the Assembling the Fungal Tree of Life project. Each species features up to five vibrant photographs, to aid with identification, along with notes on range, season, spore print, look-alikes, conservation status, and more. Introductory essays explain the various parts of a mushroom—both above and below ground—common host trees, nomenclature and taxonomy, mushroom ecology, and the impacts of our changing climate.

 

Whether marveling at species like the “shaggy rose goblet” and “dead man’s fingers,” or getting to know the miraculous forms that take root in the backyard, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any nature lover, and is poised to become the number-one guide in the field.