Frequently Asked Questions

Miscellaneous Nature Related

Can you recommend a good bird identification book?

There are lots of good guides, and everyone will have their favorite. Look for guides with good, clear drawings or photographs, with range maps, and with vivid, easy to understand written descriptions. Drawings are sometimes preferable to pictures, since the artist can highlight key field marks, draw different color phases of the bird, and draw different life phases of the bird. Some good field guides include:

• Grigg, Jack L. 1997. The American Bird Conservancy's field guide to all the birds of North America. Harper Collins Publishers. NY.
• National Geographic Society. 1987. Field guide to the birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC. 464 pp.
• Peterson, R. T. 1987. Birds of Texas. Peterson Field Guide series. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 306 pp.
• Rappole, J.H. and G.W. Blacklock. 1994. A field guide: Birds of Texas. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, TX. 280 pp.
• Robbins, C.S., B. Bruun, and H.S. Zim. A guide to the field identification: Birds of North America. Golden field guide series. Golden Press, NY. 339 pp.
• Stokes, D. W. and L. Q. Stokes. 1996. Stokes field guide to birds: Eastern region. Little, Brown and Co., Boston. 472 pp.
• Stokes, D. W. and L. Q. Stokes. 1996. Stokes field guide to birds: Western region. Little, Brown and Co., Boston. 520 pp.
• Tveten, J.L. 1993. The birds of Texas. Shearer Publishing Co., Fredericksburg, TX. 384 pp.