“The text overall is excellent—reflecting Ted Floyd’s roots as a birder and a bird writer. It is highly readable, uses as few scientific terms as possible without losing meaning, and is often fun to read. . . . The text is also meticulously cross-referenced, meaning that if a species is compared to another species, the page number of that bird’s description is given. This is a level of detail I seldom see in field guides.” — Donna Lynn Schulman, 10,000 Birds
“If [National Geographic’s] ultimate aim is achieving a balance that appeals to the widest possible readership, their choice of author is a fitting one. Ted Floyd is a prolific writer of books and articles, as well as a teacher, lecturer, and the longstanding editor of Birding Magazine. He knows a thing or two about delivering a product that can be both accessible and technically engaging. Beginning birders will appreciate his inviting touches, such as introducing bird families by way of color-backed, banner-like overviews enlivened with interesting facts and statistics . . . Advanced birders will applaud his tact for keeping current with some of birding’s hottest topics.” — David Koeppel, Western Birds