Keith Arnold, PhD and Gregory Kennedy
What’s to like about this book? Beautiful illustrations, organized for easy access to the species pages, Texas range maps, information on where to go birding in Texas, the back cover is a quick-find index with thumbnails, color blocks with starting page numbers that line up with the color tab index on the margin, and a binding that will withstand years of use. All of this, plus pages 5-20 are a gallery of small illustrations of all the birds covered in the book, the appendix shows uncommon birds (many of which are target birds in the Rio Grande Valley).
I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for naturalists, teachers, interpreters and others who want more than just the names, ranges and identifying marks of Texas Birds in as few pages as possible. Great for people who want to see what’s at their feeders or around their home, and don’t need to know every possible plumage variation of juveniles or subspecies. For example, while the Sibley guide dedicates some 30 illustrations to the Red-tailed Hawk, this book has three. The trade-off is that you have one really nice, large full color illustration and more room for information, including Texas status and nesting information. When there is a large difference in the sexes, they are illustrated together. The lead author, Dr. Keith Arnold is one of Texas’ most respected ornithologists, having taught ornithology for over 40 years, and is now a Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M. The layout of the book has ‘teacher’ written all over it, which is why I think it will become our most popular introductory book for Birds of Texas.
Want more illustrations of each bird, and or more birds per page? The next step would be deciding on a national or regional (East/Central or West) birding field guide of your choice, supplemented with the TOS Handbook of Texas Birds.
From the publisher: “Located on the migratory paths of many western hemisphere species, Texas is a birding mecca. This beautifully illustrated field guide features over 400 species either common or particularly notable in the Lone Star state. Descriptions of each bird, as well as the illustrations and range maps, help you identify birds and understand their habits. A checklist helps you keep a list of your birding accomplishments.”
Paperback, laminate covers, 480 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches, over 400 color illustrations and maps, checklist, glossary, index of scientific names, index of common names, color tabs, May 2007.
