Introduction to Birds of the Southern California Coast

About this book

This easy-to-use, concise, informative guide is a must for anyone who wants to leave behind Southern California's noisy freeways and crowded beaches in search of the wild places where birds can be found. An excellent introduction, an indispensable regional guide, and a perfect companion for excursions from San Luis Obispo County to the Mexican border, it is designed to familiarize birdwatchers, hikers, naturalists, residents, and travelers with the appearance and behavior of 120 of the most common coastal birds.

Contents

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction A Bird's Eye View Boundaries of the Coastal Strip Climate and Habitats Birding Basics: What to Look For How Coastal Birds Live Feeding and Flocking Migration Nesting Colonies Before You Go Species Accounts Geese and Ducks Loons Grebes Shearwaters Pelicans Cormorants Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns Ibises New World Vultures Hawks Falcons Rails, Gallinules, and Coots Plovers Oystercatchers Stilts and Avocets Sandpipers Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers Auks Barn Owls Kingfishers Tyrant Flycatchers Crows and Ravens Swallows and Martins Wrens Starlings and Mynas Pipits and Wagtails Wood-Warblers Sparrows Blackbirds and Orioles Birding Sites along the Coast San Diego County Orange County Los Angeles County Ventura County Santa Barbara County San Luis Obispo County Going by Boat Shoreline Size Chart Gull Identification Seasonal Occurrence Bar Graphs Suggested Reading Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Joan Easton Lentz is a Research Associate with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. She also teaches bird classes for the Santa Barbara Community College Continuing Education Division and is author of Great Birding Trips of the West (1989) and Birdwatching: A Guide for Beginners (1985).