Introduction to California Birdlife

University of California Press, 2005. Hardcover. As new. Tait, Ian. In almost every location and every season, California is a birdwatchers' paradise. One can search Sierra meadows for a Great Gray Owl, the autumn estuary for a Black-bellied Plover, or spring willow thickets for the effervescent song of the Yellow Warbler. Closer to home, backyards, neighborhood parks, and cities abound with many of the state's 600-plus bird species. This beautifully illustrated book, the first based on the relationship between birds and their habitats, is the definitive introduction to California's varied birds and the lives they lead.

Introduction to California Birdlife describes the representative birds in California's seven major bioregions: ocean, seashore, coastal ranges, Central Valley, mountains and foothills, Great Basin, and deserts. It explains key relationships among weather patterns, plant communities, and the ecological rhythms of these habitats and shows how these factors relate to the distribution, behavioral adaptations, and environmental challenges of its birds.

The perfect book for beginning and intermediate naturalists, and in-depth enough for experienced naturalists who would like to learn more about the habitat affinities, ecological niches, and seasonal cycles of California birds150 color photographs bring to life many of the birds describedIntroduces the basics of avian biologyIncludes a list of all California's known bird species and a glossary of birding terms. "This is the first book on California birds that is based on habitats. I would have loved to have it when I started birdwatching in 1958! I would have read it cover to cover a dozen times and slept with it under my pillow." -Steve Laymon, Natural Resource Specialist, Bureau of Land Management

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