fieldguide

A field guide, or fieldguide, is a portable reference work designed to help identify organisms and natural features in outdoor settings. It typically focuses on plants, animals, fungi, or geological features and provides concise descriptions, diagnostic characteristics, and guidance for identification.

Most field guides include a combination of illustrations or photographs, brief descriptive text, notes on habit and habitat, and distribution information such as range maps. Identification is often aided by dichotomous keys, labeled plates, or image galleries that emphasize distinguishing traits such as leaf shape, plumage patterns, fruit structure, or habitat associations. Organizing principles vary, but guides are commonly arranged by taxonomic groups with a regional or geographic focus, and many include tips on seasonal activity and behavior.

Field guides have a long history in natural history and outdoor recreation. They developed from drawing-based manuals used by early naturalists to modern products that incorporate color plates, photographs, and, increasingly, digital media. Today, field guides are published as print books, pocket-sized manuals, and digital applications that provide interactive search, offline access, and frequently updated distribution data.

Common use cases include hiking, birdwatching, plant identification, and ecological study. Users are advised to consult multiple sources, account for regional variation, and consider seasonal changes, maturation, and behavioral cues where relevant. While highly useful, field guides can yield misidentifications when similar species or objects resemble one another, under poor lighting, or when specimens are immature; where possible, expert confirmation or cross-checking with additional features is recommended.