Brief descriptions and illustrations help to identify 650 species of birds in North America, with information on characteristics, range maps, and song patterns. After describing the parts of a bird, the book has a table of contents which is also a quick reference list for bird classification.
Maps give the location of the area in which the bird is found.
Bird-watchers have relied on the Peterson Guides over the years to identify birds, giving names, habitat, descriptions, and distribution information. However, no guide has gone that additional step to describe what the bird is doing at the time it is being observed. The book is organized so that when a particular page is consulted, it is easy to understand without referrring to other parts of the book. Each family has a brief overview that describes the bird and its feeding, nesting, and displaying characteristics. Additional information is given for the genus, followed by detailed facts about each species.