This book aims at informing readers, in a painless way, about fifty species of common birds of Oklahoma and the Southern Great Plains, says Dr. George Miksch Sutton, noted ornithologist, writer and bird painter. A full-page color plate of a Sutton painting of each bird faces the page of text about that bird.

The text itself does not describe the shape and color of the birds in great detail-the color plates do that-but accents the seasonal status of each species in Oklahoma, changes in plumage as the individual bird matures, important food habits, and breeding habits, especially of the species that breed in the area. Not all the birds discussed breed in Oklahoma or inhibit the state the year round. A few are found here only during migration or in winter, but these species are common in much of the state.

A treasure of entertainment and information, the book is written not for bird students or ornithologists but for the general reader who appreciates the beauty of our common birds and wants to know more about them.