Birds of Oregon: A General Reference
 |
Edited by David B. Marshall, Matthew G. Hunter, and Alan L. Contreras
Now in Paperback
2006. 8-1/2 x 11 inches. 704 pages. Illus. Maps. Glossary. References. Index.
ISBN 0-87071-182-2. $45.00
Table of Contents
Preface |
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 approximately 500 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. Although northern states generally support fewer species of birds than more
southerly ones, Oregon ranks fifth behind only Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California in terms of numbers of 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 large 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 about 200 range maps that reflect the work of more than 700
volunteers who participated in the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas project, as well as other sources. 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.
In addition to the species accounts,
Birds of Oregon also includes a discussion of changes among Oregon's birds since
1940 and a description of the state's nine ecoregions and how they relate to bird species.
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 with approximately 4,000 literature citations,
Birds of Oregon is written in nontechnical language and will appeal
to a broad audience, including birders, wildlife biologists, land managers,
conservationists, naturalists, hunters, and wildlife enthusiasts in general.
This new paperback edition includes an annotated
list of species that have been added to the official state bird list since
the book was first published in 2003.
About the Editors
David B. Marshall was a biologist for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 32 years and is currently a wildlife consultant. He has published numerous articles in scientific journals and is widely considered the preeminent authority on Oregon birds. He lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Matthew G. Hunter is a consulting wildlife ecologist who previously worked as a wildlife biologist for several federal and state agencies. He lives in Corvallis, Oregon.
Alan L. Contreras is past president of the Oregon Field Ornithologists, and is the author or co-author of several books on
Oregon birds, including
Birds of Lane County (OSU Press) and
Northwest Birds in Winter (OSU Press). He lives in Eugene, Oregon.
Harry B. Nehls, Senior Contributor
M. Ralph Browning, Taxonomic Editor
Jonathan P. Brooks, Cartographer
Illustrations by Elva Hamerstrom Paulson
Comments and Erratahttp://home.comcast.net/~matt.hunter/bogrerrata/
Acclaim for Birds of Oregon
"The reigning ultimate birding resource for the Northwest."
--The Oregonian
"This book . . . is the first exhaustive work on the subject since Jewett
and Gabrielson's landmark treatment 63 years ago. If you want to know if a
bird visits Oregon, and when, or breeds here, or what kind of habitat it
needs, or what it eats, when it migrates, whether its numbers are increasing
or decreasing, what threats it faces, this is your one-stop shopping."
--Mail Tribune
"This is a tremendously valuable and important work, and a must-have for any
regional birder, ornithologist, wildlife manager, and policy maker, or
anyone simply interested in birds of the western United States . . . One of
the highlights of this book, and one that extends to birders and
ornithologists well beyond Oregon's borders, is the exhaustive treatment of
subspecies."
--Western Birds
"With this book and a good, handy identification guide, you're set for a
lifetime of Oregon birding."
--The Register-Guard
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