The Birds of Texas [Paperback]

John L. Tveten (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Shearer Publishing; 1st Edition. edition (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940672634
• ISBN-13: 978-0940672635
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #448,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful photographs; not so handy in the field, January 13, 2001

By 

Mike Christie (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Birds of Texas (Paperback)

The remarkable thing about this book is the beautiful close-up colour pictures of almost every species. Not all the pictures are flawless--anyone who's ever photographed birds knows how hard it is to get a good, detailed, well-lit close-up shot--but they are very high quality and make this both a gorgeous coffee table book and a valuable identification aid.

The coverage is not as complete as, say, Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds of Texas, which I also own. The Peterson has, for example, many more of the confusing fall warblers; the Tveten explicitly says that detailed coverage of the warblers is outside its scope. But the differences in coverage are generally of the rarer birds; anything a casual bird-watcher is likely to see will be in the Tveten; and the Peterson has few good colour plates.

This is a larger book than is really convenient out in the field, though. Plus the descriptive sections, while well-written and interesting, aren't organized in a way that makes it easy to quickly find important field marks or check the range. If you want to get just one book I'd recommend this one; get another for completeness or for use in the field.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book for bird enthusiasts, February 10, 2000

By 

Claudia A Crandall - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birds of Texas (Paperback)

This colorful book thoroughly covers the wide range of birds in Texas. The close-up photography is stunning and provides for easy identification of birds encountered in the wild. Every aspect of each bird is described in depth in lively and interesting prose. The excellent organization of this book allows the reader to find the bird they are looking for quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend "The Birds of Texas". I only wish I had bought the hardcover edition instead of the softcover.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Resource, March 20, 2003

By 

Kelley Hunt (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Birds of Texas (Paperback)

This book has beautiful photographs of Texas birds. It describes their songs, how they eat, mate, nest, care for offspring, and all in an interesting manner. The way the author describes birds, you know he has a great love for these winged creatures. Cedar Wax-wings are "courteous", Loggerhead Shrikes have "the inclinations of a hawk", Grackles are "bullies", Carolina Chickadees are "acrobatic", Horned Larks have a "rakish, devilish air", etc.. Believe it or not, these descriptions actually help me remember what the birds look like and what they are called. Highly recommended.