The vast, open plains of the Texas Panhandle appear 
deceptively void of bird life, but subtle regional 
variations provide a rich array of avifauna. Of the 
approximately six hundred species of birds sighted in 
Texas, more than two-thirds have been confirmed in the 
Texas Panhandle.
    

The wooded waterways of the eastern Panhandle attract 
such eastern nesting species as the red-headed woodpecker 
and Carolina chickadee. The terrain of the High Plains and 
its scattered rainwater lakes provide a winter habitat for 
a variety of migrating waterfowl. Canyons etched deeply 
into the otherwise flat land create sheltered places where 
the Western scrub-jay and bushtit thrive and breed.


For each of the more than four hundred species found in 
this region, author Kenneth D. Seyffert provides 
information on the bird's status, occurrence, and 
nesting habits. Ten elegant line drawings also accompany 
the text.


Birds of the Texas Panhandle is a must for those already 
familiar with the avifauna of the Panhandle and an 
eye-opener for those skeptical of the abundance of bird 
life in the region. Residents of the Panhandle will find 
this a handy reference to places where they can view their 
winged neighbors.



_________________________________________________________

KENNETH D. SEYFFERT is an avocational birder living in 
Amarillo, Texas, who is known throughout the state and 
nationally as an authority on the birds of the Panhandle. 
He is a past vice-president of the Texas Ornithological 
Society, a past president of the Texas Panhandle Audubon 
Society, and a founding member of the Texas Bird Records 
Committee. He is a regional director of the Texas Breeding 
Bird Atlas Project.


Number Twenty-nine: W. L. Moody, Jr., Natural History Series