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 Hummer/Bird 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. Magnificent color photographs and original artwork aid in identification and accompany descriptions, range maps, and abundance graphs for each species.
CLIFFORD E. SHACKELFORD is the state-wide non-game ornithologist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Nacogdoches. MADGE M. LINDSAY is the former executive director of Audubon Mississippi in Holly Springs. She resides in Fort Davis, Texas. C. MARK KLYM, an information specialist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Austin, coordinates the Texas Hummingbird Roundup. He resides in Bastrop, Texas. What Readers Are Saying: "Hummingbirds of Texas is a book Texans long have needed. . . . Stunning photographs, color drawings, and explanatory tables augment the clearly written text. You can enjoy the book by merely flipping the pages or giving it a close read, but in either case you will gain pleasure and knowledge in equal measure." --Houston Chronicle "Hummingbird enthusiasts, particularly those in Texas and its surrounding states, will love this book." -- The Quarterly Review of Biology "The design, the photographs, the ILLUSTRATIONS, and the content are all fantastic. There are no weak points . . . . the practical information on birding sites as recreational destinations, the hummingbird habitat gardening, sections on hummingbird behavior and natural history, and the fantastic field guide' to regional birds . . . . it is all fantastic." --Kelly Bender, urban wildlife biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department "This beautifully illustrated nature guide will inspire readers to add special plants to their gardens to attract these tiny, jewel-toned visitors."--The Facts 108 pp full color!
