David Allen Sibley Sibley has scored again! Living in Texas, where most guides divide the state in half, I was a bit skeptical as to whether or not these would be of value in Texas. Although the publisher describes the dividing line as the Rocky Mountains, the coverage map in this book looks more like the Trans-Pecos area for Texas (Montezuma Quail is only in Western book for example), and then follows the state outlines for the Rocky Mountain states, range maps cover the entire US/Canadian range for the bird. There are over 4,200 illustrations (27 paintings for the Red-tailed Hawk) for the 650 species featured, with descriptive caption text pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry contains new text concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. There are sections with ID tips for difficult species (dark ibis, buteo, recognizing harrier flight silhouettes) that are very helpful. The inside front cover handily has the bird topography and key to range map colors, last two pages are the Quick Index, also helpful, as are the flaps on both covers. Accounts also include brand-new maps created from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent. The 8 x 5 inch size also makes it truly portable.
Flexicover; 432 pages; 1.10 x 7.78 x 4.99 inches, April 2003"
