This unique photographic field guide to North America’s gulls provides a comparative approach to identification that concentrates on the size, structure, and basic plumage features of gulls—gone are the often-confusing array of plumage details found in traditional guides.
Featuring hundreds of color photos throughout, Gulls Simplified illustrates the variations of gull plumages for a variety of ages, giving readers strong visual reference points for each species. Extensive captions accompany the photos, which include comparative photo arrays, digitized photo arrays for each age group, and numerous images of each species—a wealth of visual information at your fingertips. This one-of-a-kind guide includes detailed species accounts and a distribution map for each gull.
An essential field companion for North American birders, Gulls Simplified reduces the confusion commonly associated with gull identification, offering a more user-friendly way of observing these marvelous birds.
- Provides a simpler approach to gull identification
- Features a wealth of color photos for easy comparison among species
- Includes detailed captions that explain identification criteria and aging, with direct visual reinforcement above the captions
- Combines plumage details with a focus on size, body shape, and structural features for easy identification in the field
- Highlights important field marks and physical features for each gull
Awards and Recognition
- One of American Birding Podcast's Best Bird Books of 2018 (Nate Swick)
- One of British Birds' Best Bird Books of 2019
Pete Dunne is retired director of the Cape May Bird Observatory. His books include Hawks in Flight; Birds of Prey (with Kevin T. Karlson); and Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion. Kevin T. Karlson is an accomplished birder, tour leader, and wildlife photographer. His books include the Peterson Reference Guide to Birding by Impression and The Shorebird Guide.
"This is probably the closest thing to a Gulling for Dummies there is."—Jennie Erin Smith, Wall Street Journal
"Gulls Simplified is an accessible, informative, and even humorous guide to identifying these wide-ranging, wily birds."—The Editors, Audubon
"This clearly-written and beautifully-illustrated book is a must-have for all birders, presenting a simplified method for identifying all those confusing gull species of North America."—GrrlScientist
"In a birding world that celebrates identification, there are surprisingly few articles and books on gull identification. So, we need to lift a glass to 2018, a year that has given us Gulls of the World: A Photographic Field Guide by Klaus Malling Olsen and Gulls Simplified: A Comparative Approach to Identification by Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson. . . . [T]he bar here is high, there are expectations of excellent writing, high-quality photographs, a friendly yet educational approach, and a high level of expertise. . . . And, yes, they succeed on all points."—Donna Schulman, 10,000 Birds Book Review
"These images teamed with the friendly style of writing make you want to read and study every
corner of this book, every paragraph, every caption and to top off the enjoyment – a quiz! Oh yes,
this book has a photographic quiz at the back, and it is great fun – really!"—Sarah Harris, British Trust for Ornithology
"The overall design of the book is excellent and the photographs are the best collection I’ve seen. . . . The combination of simple approach, brilliant photos and the readable style encourages all birders to dip their toes into the wonderful world of gulls!"—Dawn Balmer, British Birds
"[This book may] finally [get] you into gulls."—John Miles, Birdwatching Magazine
“Dunne and Karlson’s beautiful and engaging book fills a need and will be much appreciated by the birding community.”—Dennis Paulson, author of Shorebirds of North America
“Gulls Simplified fills a major hole in the birder’s library. Dunne and Karlson share the joys and challenges that make gull watching so much fun.”—Derek Lovitch, author of How to Be a Better Birder
