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This page lists bird related books published by Texas A&M University Press that are not part of the two series listed on separate pages.

Texas A&M University Press pages

Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series

Other bird related books

Attracting Birds in the Texas Hill Country: A Guide to Land Stewardship

W. Rufus Stephens and Jan Wrede

2017

"After years of working with landowners, land managers, naturalists, county officials, and others about wildlife management and land stewardship for birds in the Texas Hill Country, biologist Rufus Stephens and educator Jan Wrede teamed up to write a practical guidebook on how to improve habitat for birds on both small and large properties throughout the Hill Country. Because each bird species has specific needs for cover, food, water, nesting, and rearing their young, the book is organized by Hill Country habitat types: wooded slopes and savannahs; grasslands; rivers and creeks; canyons, seeps, and springs; tanks and ponds; plus residential backyards."

The Upland and Webless Migratory Game Birds of Texas

Leonard A Brennan, Damon L Williford, Bart M Ballard, William P Kuvlesky, Jr, Eric D Grahmann, Stephen J DeMaso

2017

"Authored by some of the state's top wildlife scientists, The Upland and Webless Migratory Game Birds of Texas presents the most up-to-date and comprehensive information covering twenty-one species of game birds. Ranging from the most well-known, like the Wild Turkey and Mourning Dove, to the marsh-loving rails and other more elusive species, these birds have widespread appeal among both hunters and birders and underscore the diverse challenges facing wildlife scientists, land managers, and conservationists in Texas today. From cultural significance to taxonomy and evolutionary history, The Upland and Webless Migratory Game Birds of Texas provides a wealth of background information on these species. Additionally, the book offers illustrated species accounts, detailed range maps, and information about habitat and management requirements, hunting regulations, and research priorities. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of these game birds and the array of terrestrial and wetland landscapes key to their survival. This will serve as a convenient and thorough reference volume for wildlife biologists and enthusiasts, as well as landowners and hunters."

Book of Texas Birds

Gary Clark

Texas A & M University Press

2016

"Drawing on the knowledge and insight gained from a lifetime of watching, studying, and enjoying birds, this book is full of information about more than four hundred species of birds in Texas, most all of which author Gary Clark has seen first hand. Organized in the standard taxonomic order familiar to most birders, the book is written in a conversational tone that yields a wide-ranging discussion of each bird's life history as well as an intimate look at some of its special characteristics and habits. Information regarding each species' diet, voice, and nest is included as well as when and where it can be found in Texas. Magnifi cent photographs by Kathy Adams Clark accompany each bird's entry. For those just beginning to watch birds to those who can fully relate to the experiences and sentiments communicated here by a veteran birder, this book reveals the kind of personal connection to nature that careful attention to the birds around us can inspire."

Birds in Trouble

Lynn E Barber

2016

"First explaining the idea of birds "in trouble"—and what that means in terms of population, conservation status, and national and international designations—the book then turns to the habitats that are important to birds, how they are affected by changes in these habitats, and what ordinary people can do to help counter those negative effects. Barber then profiles forty-two species that are in trouble in the United States, discussing the likely reasons why and what, if anything, we can do to improve their situations. Illustrated throughout with the author’s signature bird art, the book closes with a reminder about what we can do to insure that the birds we see every day in our yards, parks, and communities will remain with us."

Explore Texas: A Nature Travel Guide

Mary O. Parker

Texas A & M University Press

2016

"Organized by the seven official state travel regions, Explore Texas features descriptions of almost one hundred nature-oriented sites, including information about the best time to visit and why it’s worth going; location, and other logistics; and a "learn" section on the observations and natural phenomena a visitor might expect to experience. Photographs by professional photographer Jeff Parker accompany the accounts, and handy color-coded icons help guide readers to the activities of their choice. Perfect for planning the family’s next outing or vacation, this book also contains a message of how nature tourism helps to protect biodiversity, promote conservation, and sustain the state’s tourism economy."

Border Sanctuary: The Conservation Legacy of the Santa Ana Land Grant

M.J. Morgan

2015

"The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge lies on the northern bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, about seventy miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. In Border Sanctuary, M.J. Morgan uncovers how 2,000 acres of rare subtropical riparian forest came to be preserved in a region otherwise dramatically altered by human habitation. The story she tells begins and ends with the efforts of the Rio Grande Nature Club to protect one of the last remaining stopovers for birds migrating north from Central and South America. In between, she reconstructs a hundred-year human and environmental history of the original "two square leagues" of the Santa Ana land grant and of the Mexican and Tejano families who lived, worked, transformed, and ultimately helped save this forest on the river’s edge."

Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce, and Conservation

Paul J. Baicich, Margaret A. Barker, and Carrol L. Henderson

2015

"Today, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, more than fifty million Americans feed birds around their homes, and over the last sixty years, billions of pounds of birdseed have filled millions of feeders in backyards everywhere. Feeding Wild Birds in America tells why and how a modest act of provision has become such a pervasive, popular, and often passionate aspect of people’s lives."

Beef, Brush, and Bobwhites: Quail Management in Cattle Country

Fidel Hernández and Fred S. Guthery

2nd edition

2012

"In this completely revised Texas A&M University Press edition, Guthery and coauthor Fidel Hernández have breathed new life into a classic work that for more than twenty years has been teaching biologists, managers, and ranchers to 'think like a quail.' Updated with the latest research on quail habitat management, predator control, and recent issues such as aflatoxin contamination, Hernández and Guthery help land stewards understand the optimum conditions for encouraging and sustaining quail populations while continuing to manage rangeland for cattle production. Written in a style that is entertaining and easy to read, this book is, in Guthery's words, 'meant to be kept on the dashboard of your pickup.' More than 150 helpful photographs and figures, along with supporting tables, accompany the text."

Extreme Birder: One Woman's Big Year

Lynne E. Barber

2011

"In 2008, Lynn Barber's passion for birding led her to drive, fly, sail, walk, stalk, and sit in search of birds in twenty-five states and three provinces. Traveling more than 175,000 miles, she set a twenty-first century record at the time, second to only one other person in history. Over 272 days, Barber observed 723 species of birds in North America north of Mexico, recording a remarkable 333 new species in January but, with the dwindling returns typical to Big Year birding, only eight in December, a month that found her crisscrossing the continent from Texas to Newfoundland, from Washington to Ontario. In the months between, she felt every extreme of climate, well-being, and emotion. But, whether finally spotting an elusive Blue Bunting or seeing three species of eiders in a single day, she was also challenged, inspired, and rewarded by nearly every experience. Barber's journal from her American Birding Association-sanctioned Big Year covers the highlights of her treks to forests, canyons, mountain ranges, deserts, oceans, lakes, and numerous spots in between. Written in the informal style of a diary, it captures the detail, humor, challenges, and fun of a good adventure travelogue and also conveys the remarkable diversity of North American birds and habitat. For actual or would-be "travel birders," Lynn Barber's Extreme Birder provides a fascinating, binoculars-eye view of one of the best-loved pastimes of nature lovers everywhere."

Whooping Crane: Images from the Wild

Klaus Nigge

2010

"Approximately 250 wild whooping cranes nest in northern Canada and winter in south Texas, flying 2,500 miles annually between these two distinct havens. Each of these terminal migratory places is protected from human encroachment, by a U.S. national wildlife refuge on the one hand and a Canadian national park on the other. On the flock's wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, photographer Klaus Nigge has captured the daily activity of a single family over several weeks in two separate years, documenting their life in the salt marshes of the central Texas coast. He has also photographed the cranes' summer nesting sites in remote areas of Wood Buffalo National Park. The photographs in this book are accompanied by vignettes composed by the author."

Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail: Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast

Ted Lee Eubanks Jr., Robert A. Behrstock, Seth Davidson

2008

"For those familiar with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's maps to the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, this book on the Upper Texas Coast offers more - more information, more convenient and detailed maps, more pictures, more finding tips, and more birding advice from one of the trail's creators, Ted Lee Eubanks Jr., and trail experts Robert A. Behrstock and Seth Davidson. For those new to the trail, the book is the perfect companion for learning where to find and how to bird the very best venues on this part of the Texas coast. In an opening tutorial on habitat and seasonal strategies for birding the Upper Texas Coast, the authors include tips on how to take advantage of the famous (but elusive) fallouts of birds that happen here. They then briefly discuss the basics of birding by ear and the rewards of passive birding before turning to the trail itself and each of more than 120 birding sites from the Louisiana-Texas border, through Galveston and Houston, to just south of Freeport."

Texas Quails: Ecology and Management

Editor: Leonard A. Brennan

2006

"Texas Quails presents the first complete assessment of the four species of quail found in this vast state. Experts describe each of them and examine all geographic regions of the state for historical and current population trends, habitat status, and research needs. These experts also discuss management practices, hunting issues, economics, and diseases. With the recent creation of the Texas Quail Conservation Initiative, this volume provides a timely and comprehensive view of quail science and stewardship."

Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast

Ted L. Eubanks Jr., Robert A. Behrstock, Ron J. Weeks

2006

"In the last thirty years, the Upper Texas Coast has become a "must go" destination for birders around the globe. This book will serve as an essential companion to the customary field guide and pair of binoculars for all visitors to Houston, High Island, Galveston, Freeport, or any of the area's other exciting birding spots. It also places the birdlife of the region, a seven-county area with a larger bird list than forty-three states, into historical and ecological contexts."

The Birds of Tanglewood

Karle Wilson Baker

2006

"In the intimate language of one who watched birds daily, Karle Wilson Baker brought readers face to face with the wonders of the East Texas woods in the 1930s. She wrote about tiny warblers, industrious chickadees, and purple finches; the aery trills and tantalizing color flashes of the hummingbirds; the bell tones of the wood thrush; the daily visits and rare drop-ins of the prolific bird life of the region. In a daily diary she kept throughout her life, Baker recorded her observations of the many birds that lived in the heavily wooded setting of her Nacogdoches home, called Tanglewood. When her family moved from the house, she collected her essays on bird life into this volume, illustrated by her daughter Charlotte and published in 1930. Her little classic speaks with the voice of her times to readers today who enjoy their avian companions."

Hummingbirds of Texas

Clifford E. Shackelford, Madge M. Lindsay, C.Mark Klym

2005

"Written for a general audience, with spectacular images for birders and nature enthusiasts at every level, "Hummingbirds of Texas" reveals the enormous appeal of this tiniest and shiniest of birds. The book opens with a look at the many manifestations of the human attraction to these flying jewels. The Hummingbird Roundup, a citizen-science project run by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has recruited hundreds of people to feed hummingbirds and record their activities throughout the state. The Rockport-Fulton Hummingbird Celebration, one of several festivals dedicated to hummingbirds, draws thousands of people each fall to the Texas coast where birds gather in huge numbers before migrating south. Bird-loving landowners invite the public to enjoy hummingbirds that live and breed on their ranches. Tips make attracting hummingbirds to your own lawn or garden easy, such as what to plant in the ground or in pots and how to choose and take care of feeders. The authors then showcase the nineteen different hummingbird species that have appeared in the region covered by the book."

Nesting Birds of a Tropical Frontier: The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Timothy Brush

2005

"Halfway between Dallas and Mexico City, along the last few hundred miles of the Rio Grande, lies a subtropical outpost where people come from all over the world to see birds. Located between the temperate north and the tropic south, with desert to the west and ocean to the east, the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas provides habitat for a variety of birds seen nowhere else in the United States. If you want to see a Hooked-billed Kite, Muscovy Duck, or Altamira Oriole, this is the place. Drawing on years of personal observation and study, Timothy Brush has written a classic work of natural history about the little-known breeding bird communities of the Valley and the diversity of nesting strategies and behaviors that can be seen. Brush estimates that there are more than 150 current breeding species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. In Nesting Birds of a Tropical Frontier, he describes the habits, distribution, changes in occurrence, and general outlook of these as well as former breeders, concentrating on Valley specialties and other birds of particular interest in the Valley."

Our Life with Birds

John L. Tveten and Gloria Tveten

2004

"For nearly a quarter of a century, John and Gloria Tveten wrote a weekly column, called "Nature Trails," for the Houston Chronicle. Wide ranging in both subject matter and geography, their writings reflected a rewarding life of travel, study, and observation in nature, including many memorable encounters with birds. Through the Tvetens' engaging accounts, readers travel vicariously to canoe a Minnesota lake alongside common loons, experience the rare thrill of sighting a snowy owl on a boat dock in Louisiana, count a record number of birds on the Texas coast, or spot tropical tanagers in a Brazilian rainforest. Now gathered together in Our Life with Birds, these writings let us sit back and enjoy the best of John and Gloria Tveten as they tell about the fun of listing, banding, and other games birders play; about the behavior, variety, and beauty of birds; about the imperiled as well as the favored species; and about the simple joy to be had in living with birds."

Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras

Mark Bonta

2003

"Offering intimate descriptions of the birds and people that inhabit Honduran landscapes, this title showcases the deep-rooted local traditions of bird appreciation and holds them up as a model for sound management of the environment."

I'd Rather Be Birding

June Osborne

2003

"June Osborne really would rather be birding than doing just about anything else, and in this charming book of personal reflections, she leads readers through backyards and river bottoms, far and near, savoring the colors, sounds, and playful busy-ness of American Robins, Hooded Orioles, Vermilion Flycatchers, Common Loons, Varied Thrushes, and a hundred other feathered friends. Osborne has introduced thousands of home owners to their common backyard birds. In her book's opening chapter 'Exploring the Backyard,' she features birds people are likely to see around their (mostly) Texas homes. She also introduces some birding tricks of the trade, such as 'pishing' and birding by ear. 'Travel Is for the Birds,' she shares her birding and nature experiences traveling to such places as Tierra del Fuego, Chile, and Costa Rica, as well as to Arizona and Minnesota in the United States. Her final chapter, 'In Love with a River,' chronicles Osborne's long 'love affair' with the Frio River in the Texas Hill Country, where, in April, she is resident birder at Neal's Lodges, a familiar birding site and stop of the Nature Quest festival held in the Hill Country every spring. Osborne writes with an intimate style that often involves her life journey as well as her bird encounters. While giving us a glimpse of one woman's spiritual growth through her experiences with birds and nature, Osborne also conveys a wealth of information about birds, both familiar and exotic, and about the enjoyment one can have in getting to know them."

The Life History of a Texas Birdwatcher: Connie Hagar of Rockport

Karen Harden McCracken

2nd edition

2001

"The diminutive birdwatcher nicknamed Connie was reared as Martha Conger Neblett in early twentieth-century Texas, where she led a genteel life of tea parties and music lessons. But at middle age she became fascinated with birds and resolved to learn everything she could about them. In 1935, she and her husband, Jack, moved to Rockport, on the Coastal Bend of Texas, to be at the center of one of the most abundant areas of bird life in the country. Her diligence in observation soon had her setting elite East Coast ornithologists on their ears, as she sighted more and more species the experts claimed she could not possibly have seen. (Repeatedly she proved them wrong.) She ultimately earned the respect and love of birders from the shores of New Jersey to the islands of the Pacific. Life Magazine pictured her in a tribute to the country's premier amateur naturalists, and she received many awards from nature and birding societies."

On Watching Birds

Lawrence Kilham

1997

"Lawrence Kilham begins this remarkable book with a simple premise: surely there are many people who aren't scientists who nevertheless take great satisfaction from observing nature and the creatures that inhabit it. Eschewing species lists and the charts-and-graphs approach of professional ornithologists and competitive birders, Kilham's On Watching Birds elegantly balances the aesthetic and humanistic with the scientific. The author offers a philosophy of embracing nature through discovery rather than a methodology for categorizing it."

Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America

John Cassin

1991

"Illustrations, one of the rarest books on American birds, established John Cassin (1813-1869) as the leading American ornithologist of his day. Now, in a superb facsimile edition from Wind River Press, Illustrations is available for less than the original subscription price nearly 140 years ago. Its value is enhanced by a new introduction by Robert McCracken Peck, who provides the first comprehensive biography of Cassin."

Connie Hagar: The Life History of a Texas Birdwatcher

Karen Harden McCracken

1986