Birds of Berkeley

by Oliver James

Overview

“Whether you are an experienced birder or just learning natural history, this book will deepen your sense of place and open insights to beauty, wonder, and connection to the natural world.”—John Muir Laws, author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada

Now in paperback! This charming, full-color field guide to 25 birds easily found in Berkeley proves that even the city’s avian residents are a little quirky. Meticulously detailed illustrations capture each bird’s distinctive physicality and temperament. A Burrowing Owl faces you in a full head-on shot, perhaps having just raised its raspy, chattering alarm call as you trespass on its last remaining Bay Area foothold at the Marina. The Anna’s Hummingbird gives you a coy backward glance to assess if you’ve properly admired its flashing throat feathers, maybe having just performed its signature J-shaped courtship dive. While descriptions of identification and vocalizations are straightforward, author-illustrator Oliver James takes a delightfully creative approach to his write-ups of each species. A joy to read and pore over, Birds of Berkeley will enchant readers far beyond the city limits with its findings gleaned from painstaking and patient wildlife observation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597146012
Publisher:	Heyday
Publication date:	03/07/2023
Series:	The Birds of California
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Oliver James was born in Berkeley in 1991. He started watching birds in his backyard on Colusa Avenue at age five and never turned back. Since then, he has competed in national birding tournaments, worked as a birding tour guide, and joined ornithological research teams from Peru to Alaska. He graduated from Berkeley High School in 2009 and Wesleyan Universityin 2014, and in 2021 he received master’s degrees from the Energy and Resources Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. James is also the author of A Field Guide to the Birds of Wesleyan (Wesleyan UniversityPress, 2014).

Table of Contents

Author's Note 9

Introduction 11

Presentation and Organization 11

How to Use This Field Guide 13

Bird Topography 14

Glossary 15

Some Brief Advice on Approaching Bird Identification 16

Species

Red-breasted Nuthatch 21

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 22

Cedar Waxwing 25

Western Gull 26

Chestnut-backed Chickadee 29

Anna's Hummingbird 30

California Scrub Jay 33

Wrentit 34

European Starling 37

Forster's Tern 38

White-crowned Sparrow 41

Cooper's Hawk 42

Golden-crowned Sparrow 45

Hermit Thrush 46

Bushtit 49

California Towhee 50

Western Meadowlark 53

Townsend's Warbler 54

Black Phoebe 57

Oak Titmouse 58

American Robin 61

Snowy Egret 62

Burrowing Owl 65

Western Sandpiper 66

Bufflehead 69

Acknowledgments 71

Notes and Citations 73

About the Author 78

Editorial Reviews

"Well-wrought species profiles are coupled with Mr. James’ absolutely brilliant colored pencil illustrations that at times are difficult to distinguish from photograph (indeed, he can render his subjects more effectively with his pencils that I generally can with a camera). However it’s not only the technical accuracy of his illustrations that make them so remarkable [...] it is the way he presents them that conveys the more important lessons to both interested bird watchers as well as to any aspiring illustrators studying the book for the improvement of their own craft. [...] Given these qualities, Birds of Berkeley is as much a reference guide as it is a work of both literary and visual art."—Johannes E. Riutta, The Well-read Naturalist

“A playful, illustrated guide to our avian neighbors.”—Berkeleyside

“Birds of Berkeley is more than an identification guide. It takes us beyond the who's who to why we care. Learn how to think about birds in a way that will deepen your love of feathered things. This book combines scientific research, local insights, humor, and beautiful and accurate artwork. Whether you are an experienced birder or just learning natural history, this book will deepen your sense of place and open insights to beauty, wonder, and connection to the natural world.”—John Muir Laws, author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada

“Imagine a Berkeley boy-hatchling, raised by birds, grows up to write about his favorite feathered friends in the neighborhood. That's pretty much the essence of this charming volume by local Oliver James.”—Cindy Margulis, executive director, Golden Gate Audubon Society

“The art is brilliant all on its own, but what truly makes this book special is how Oliver James explores these birds in the context of the city and world that we share with them. It’s a perfect blend of art and observation that captures and celebrates the personalities of our avian neighbors, as well as the place they call home.”—Schyler Baker, Books Inc. (Berkeley)

From the Publisher