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Rating: 
Summary: Limited colour plates; good organization
Review: For each bird, Peterson gives field marks, similar species, and where found (overall and within Texas) as the main information; the latter is useful for elimination. Where appropriate he also has sections for voice and nest. The emphasis on field identification is good, with additional sections showing, for example, silhouettes of accipiters, falcons, kites and harriers to show the differences.However, many of the plates are black and white, or line drawings, and this is a significant drawback. For that reason I'd recommend John Tveten's The Birds of Texas instead, although it's not as handy out in the field, and has less coverage of casuals and accidentals. The organization of the Peterson is good enough that you might want to get both.
Rating:
Summary: Limited colour plates; good organization
Review: For each bird, Peterson gives field marks, similar species, and where found (overall and within Texas) as the main information; the latter is useful for elimination. Where appropriate he also has sections for voice and nest. The emphasis on field identification is good, with additional sections showing, for example, silhouettes of accipiters, falcons, kites and harriers to show the differences. However, many of the plates are black and white, or line drawings, and this is a significant drawback. For that reason I'd recommend John Tveten's The Birds of Texas instead, although it's not as handy out in the field, and has less coverage of casuals and accidentals. The organization of the Peterson is good enough that you might want to get both.
Rating:
Summary: A starter but not a stand alone
Review: Range identification excellent but, although there is a 1998 date on the book, the names do not agree with current ABA nomenclature. Illustrations and descriptions are separated and minimal use of color limits the usefullness. When used for identification, range information is the most usefull. Not up to the standard expected in connection with the Peterson name.
Rating:
Summary: A starter but not a stand alone
Review: Range identification excellent but, although there is a 1998 date on the book, the names do not agree with current ABA nomenclature. Illustrations and descriptions are separated and minimal use of color limits the usefullness. When used for identification, range information is the most usefull. Not up to the standard expected in connection with the Peterson name.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not Great
Review: This guide is good for identifying birds of Texas, the ranges are listed by their proximity to cities. There are no color plates, but the descriptions are pretty good. Would like to see information on feeding. I would recommend a supplemental guide (National Geographic 3rd Ed.) for additional information.
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