Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide (Texas Natural History Guides) [Paperback]

Mark W. Lockwood (Author)

Book Description

Series: Texas Natural History Guides | Publication Date: July 1, 2007

Finding all the birds in Texas can be a lifetime pursuit. Basic Texas Birds, an easy-to-use field guide, will help you identify over 180 species of birds that are found across the state, including a selection of the rarer "Texas specialties" that draw birders to Texas from around the world. These are the birds that form the basis of a birder's life list for Texas. Basic Texas Birds is organized by bird families to aid in identifying any bird you see in the wild. It is loaded with resources, including: •200 full-color, close-up photos of the birds •State-of-the-art range maps--the most accurate of any currently available--that show each species' distribution within the state •Up-to-date species accounts that provide a wealth of current and historical information, including each bird's appearance, habitat, status, and distribution, and that also identify similar species •A glossary of terms used in bird identification •A list of selected readings for learning more about birds found in Texas •The Texas Ornithological Society's list of birds documented in Texas Much more convenient for identifying common birds than a comprehensive state or national field guide, Basic Texas Birds is a must-have resource for both beginning and experienced birders.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MARK LOCKWOOD, of Alpine, Texas, is a conservation biologist in the State Parks Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. One of the state's leading ornithologists, he is also the secretary of the Texas Birds Records Committee of the Texas Ornithological Society and a member of the American Birding Association's checklist committee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 419 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292713495
• ISBN-13: 978-0292713499
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Handy Size and Easy Reference, December 6, 2007

By 

Esteban Ess (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide (Texas Natural History Guides) (Paperback)

I spent about a week with this book and liked the following things about the book. The size and the durable pages and covers make it a good travel companion. I live in Texas and the book covers most common Texas birds but not all of the birds that one may encounter here. Most of the photographs are fine and make it easy to appreciate and identify a particular bird. But some photos suffer from dark areas and not necessarily a clear depiction of the bird. Only one photo is typical per bird with description, but no photo of juvenile stage, mating vs non mating season plumage and so forth. The bird territories and flight path maps are very good with a nice focus on Texas. Instead of choosing this book to buy now, I decided to order another bird book, namely "Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds Of Texas". The latter book is larger, but has many more birds and more scientific and detailed information that I enjoy having at hand including flight pattern, songs, similar birds, and more. Still, there is something about the ease of use of Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide that makes me feel it s a better travel companion than the Smithsonian Handbook. Maybe I'll have to own both books eventually.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good, Ready Reference, June 15, 2008

By 

English Buffer (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide (Texas Natural History Guides) (Paperback)

My wife and I use this book as a ready reference for identifying birds that visit our back yard. I am always pleased (and somewhat amazed) at the number of searches that have produced successful results. We suggest and recommend that this guide be kept in a quickly accessable location, providing useful and entertaining information when you need it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference for the field., July 19, 2007

By 

R. L. Tipping (Round Rock, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide (Texas Natural History Guides) (Paperback)

This book does not cover all of the birds ever found in the area, but it covers the birds one is likely to find in Texas. Each description discusses the appearance and habitat of each bird with the typical geographical area marked on a map. One of my favorite features of this book is that there is a color photograph of each bird. These are real birds photographed in their Texas habitat by Texas birders. Many of the photos were taken by the author, himself.

I like that the book provides rulers printed inside the front and back covers in both inches and centimeters. Now I'll have a handy reference with me without having to guess at sizes.