Reviewed by: Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.Com
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First, let me go over what is important in a guidebook, bird or other wise. Number one priority is the content.

I am not a professional birdwatcher, but a simple nature lover. I want to know everything, but in an organized, easy-to-understand way.

Second are the pictures. I prefer pictures to drawings because I'm looking for a realistic version of the bird I am watching in the field or in my backyard.

Third would be the book format. Lugging around a hardcover is not fun, and a typical paperback couldn't survive my excursions, whether it is to my umbrella-covered table with a glass of tea or to the pond near the walking track at the end of town.

And last, I like guidebooks aimed at the state I live in, which is Oklahoma, and it has to be a good price.

Well, no more checking out bird watching books from the library for me! "Birds of Oklahoma" is strictly about Oklahoma species, even those that migrate here for a season, and priced at $12.95, anyone can afford it. The book is loaded with organized, easy-to-understand information. The author includes bird watching tips, bird basics, bird color variables, nesting, migrating, and range (site) maps. Stan Tekiela even includes his own notes at the bottom of each page. The book also has a color guide, which is great. I can go straight to the color section the matches the color of the bird. There I will find its name and learn more about it - now, how simple is that?! The color pictures of the birds are close up with some extras in-flight. The guidebook is made of the material that most guidebooks are. Its strong, glossy cover has a picture of Oklahoma's state bird, the scissor-tail. The background is purple, which can easily be seen should you drop it in tall grass. In side, the strong, glossy pages are easy to manipulate, and will withstand use after use.

Whether you are an avid bird watcher in the field, on a boat in one of Oklahoma's fantastic lakes or at the bird feeder in your back yard, you can't go wrong with "Birds in Oklahoma." Now that you have discovered this one-of-a-kind guidebook for Oklahomans, don't keep the good news to yourself; pass it on to a neighbor!