Birds of Oregon: A General Reference

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 752 pages
• Published by: Oregon State University Press September 30, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0870711822
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0870711824
• Book Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 1.9 inches
• Weighs: 4.5 pounds

Product Description
The definitive source for Oregon ornithology, "Birds of Oregon" is a comprehensive reference to the 486 bird species now known to occur in the state. It combines what is known today about the population status and distribution of each species with current knowledge on their habitats and life histories. "Birds of Oregon" provides interested citizens with a basic understanding of Oregon’s rich bird life and serves as an invaluable reference for birders and wildlife professionals. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Publisher Description
"Birds of Oregon" is the first complete reference work on Oregon's birds to be published since Gabrielson and Jewett's landmark book in 1940. This comprehensive volume includes individual accounts of the 486 species now known to occur in Oregon (about 150 more than in 1940), including detailed accounts of the 353 species that regularly occur and briefer accounts of another 133 species that are considered vagrants. A separate chapter covers extirpated and questionable species as well as those which have been introduced but have not become established.

Oregon is long overdue for a book of this kind. A popular destination for birders worldwide, Oregon is renowned for its diverse bird life—only Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California support more bird species. This is due to its varied climate, its wide range of habitats, and the mild winters over much of the state, which make it an important wintering area.

"Birds of Oregon" is not a field guide for identifying birds, although it describes the appearance and any unique or special characteristics of each species, and approximately 100 species are illustrated with attractive line drawings. Instead, it compiles and presents in a single volume what is known today about the population status and distribution of each species, as well as their habitat requirements and diet, their seasonal activities and behavior, where and how they might be found, and any conservation problems. It includes 205 range maps that reflect the work of more than 700 volunteers who participated in the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas project. Subspecies—of which Oregon has many because of the variability of the state’s avian habitats—are listed with their ranges, thus providing the first accounting of subspecies in the state since 1957.

Approximately 100 contributing authors volunteered their time and expertise to create "Birds of Oregon," and numerous other individuals reviewed drafts of the species accounts to insure that they are as accurate and up-to-date as possible.

Although heavily referenced, "Birds of Oregon" is written in non-technical language and will appeal to a broad audience, including birders, wildlife biologists, land managers, conservationists, naturalists, hunters, and wildlife enthusiasts in general. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Birds of Oregon: A General Reference (Hardcover) If you live in the Pacific Northwest and have more than a passing interest in birds, you'll eventually invest in this book. It is not a field guide. It has very few illustrations. It is a reference. As such it is filled will information on distribution, phenology, behavior and much more regarding the 480 plus birds that have, so far, been recorded in Oregon. There is no other modern source like it, at least for Oregon. The last reference to come close was written in 1940 (Gabrielson and Jewett's Birds of Oregon). Is it perfect? No. Many of the distribution maps generated from the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas are suspect. A few of the accounts are, arguably, incomplete. Many authors contributed to the final work, this is no a criticism in and of itself given the number of accounts that had to be written, but this has led to some inconsistencies in completeness. For example, Ring-billed Gull shows up on the Breeding Bird Atlas for the lower Columbia River, but this is not mentioned in the written account. Nit picking aside, this is a impressive work. The bibliography alone makes it worth the price.