Birds of Oregon: A General Reference [Hardcover]

David B. Marshall (Author), Matthew G. Hunter (Author), Alan L. Contreras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"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.

About the Author

David B. Marshall was a biologist for the US 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 author or co-author of several books on Oregon birds, including "Northwest Birds in Winter." He lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 768 pages
• Publisher: Oregon State University Press; First edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087071497X
• ISBN-13: 978-0870714979
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,961,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Birds of Oregon: A General Reference, August 19, 2003

By 

Mike Patterson "Mike Patterson" (Astoria, OR USA) - See all my 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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Resource, August 18, 2003

By 

Paul M. Webster (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds of Oregon: A General Reference (Hardcover)

Not a book on bird identification, but rather a reference work, Birds of Oregon replaces the 1940 work on Oregon's birds by Gabrielson and Jewett [G&J], until now the standard reference work on the subject. But in the last 60 years much has changed: David Marshall notes the decline of "collecting" birds with a shotgun, made unnecessary now by affordable, high-quality optics. Roads are better, there are regular pelagic trips to document Oregon's seabirds, and there are more birders and many of them are more knowledgable, so coverage of the state is much better. The result is that where G&J dealt with 338 species, Birds of Oregon can treat 486. All the birds that occur regularly in Oregon -- about 330 species -- receive extended treatment, the remaining rare visitors have shorter articles.

A large group of contributing scholars is responsible for the individual articles. The extended articles cover 1) general distribution -- the bird's North American range, 2) Oregon distribution -- descriptions of some 200 species are supplemented with maps showing roughly where the birds breed in Oregon, 3) habitat and diet, 4) seasonal activity -- when migrant species arrive and leave, seasonal changes in abundance, timing of courtship and nesting, 5) detection -- how, where, and when to find the species, and how likely the bird is to be found, and 6) how the species is faring, population trends, particular needs the species requires to do better, and the like. These articles typically run from about 1000 to 1200 words. Many of the accounts are illustrated by fine pen & ink drawings by Elva Hamerstrom Paulson.

Rare visitors to Oregon, like the Broad-billed Hummingbird, receive short articles that describe the frequency of sightings, and where the bird has been seen -- records that have been accepted by the Oregon Bird Records Committee [OBRC].
A separate chapter treats special species: extirpated in Oregon, introduced species -- domestic birds, game birds, parrots, and songbirds; it also has a short section on records the OBRC considers questionable.

Other sections present 1)essays on Oregon's nine major ecoregions, 2) a glossary of terms, 3) a list of the names -- common and scientific -- of plants and animals, 4)descriptions of the OR Breeding Bird Atlas, Breeding Bird Survey, and Christmas Bird Counts, and 5) a list of sources and personal communications that runs more than 90 pages and will daunt all but the most diligent readers. A list of contributors follows and an index closes the book.

The size of Birds of Oregon is sobering. G&J is a work one can comfortably hold in the hand; Birds of Oregon -- in its quarto size and at 5.25 pounds must lie on the table. Of course, as editor David Marshall shows, we know much more about birds in Oregon than we did back at the time of G&J, and it requires more space to present all that knowledge. Still, one wonders, what size will the next Birds of Oregon be? Surely a multi-volume work, if the trend continues. There IS virtue in being selective -- one protests even as one admires this tome.

That said, the wealth of authoritative information this work offers on each of Oregon's 486 species makes it a convenient and indispensible reference for students of birds and natural history, wildlife professionals, and environmentalists in the Pacific Northwest. It is printed clearly on excellent paper and bound attractively. The publication of Birds of Oregon was subsidized by a number of donations, so that even at the list price of $65 the book is a bargain. At this price the edition will surely sell out soon. It's a pleasure to own and use Birds of Oregon.

5.0 out of 5 stars Birds of Oregon, October 12, 2007

By 

Cashbaby (Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds of Oregon: A General Reference (Paperback)

This is a great book to have. NO COLOR pictures, but I use it to learn more about the birds I have already identified with my field guides. Highly recommend it if you are learning about birds in our State. Information on diets, nesting, migration and very detailed areas of sightings.