Birds of Southern California

If you are wanting to try bird watching and you're in southern California this is really the book for you, I'm so glad I got this book. I like that:•the book shows images of male and female•easily describes their calls and songs•talks about their behavior•where and when to find them•birds are listed in their appropriate categories.•even though there are pictures I like that their appearances and height are still described.•it also let's you know if there are other species that you could mistaken one with so that you can look thru those too and compare and contrast on trying to properly identify the bird you are looking at.It really is just a great book, I take it just about everywhere with me incase I want to identify a bird I see even in a parking lot. The book is also the perfect size for carrying, so if you plan to go hiking with it you can. When I ordered it I was worried about it being a paper copy but that is not an issue because the cover is still pretty sturdy for a paper copy so don't let that discourage you if you are used to buying hard copies like me. (Don't skip over the front section in the book. Theres some good info there that will help you with identifying birds.)You won't be disappointed.Great gift for anyone with an interest in birds.

This was exactly what I needed for my new interest in identifying the birds who have been coming to my San Diego area garden! I had a book on “Western” birds that was just way too broad and I was having a hard time narrowing down what I might actually be seeing. With this one I’ve been able to pin it down much faster, as the information is so much more specific to a narrower region. The photos are great and the info categories they include are very practical: what do they look like, how do they act, where will you find them—all the basics I needed! Strongly recommend if you’re a beginner bird enthusiast in SoCal just trying to orient yourself. It’s easy enough even if you have no idea what you’re looking at to flip through and find a pic without any other info (some birds I knew okay this is probably sparrow adjacent, etc, others I had no idea where to start but found them here just by the photos!) Great little guide!

Just fine.

Sz is great, vinyl covered cover, very informative for my local area

We spent three weeks in Southern California including the days of the Great Backyard Bird Count. This book served as a great reference for identifying the new birds we saw. The only thing I would add to the book would be a range map for each bird, but then the book would probably too big to use as a field guide.

Excellent book (the 2012 one) for beginning birders. Excellent photos of adults and very good descriptions. However, it is NOT THE SAME BOOK as the hardback "Birds of California: Status and Distribution." The words "Status and Distribution" make all the difference in the world and that is what that book addresses without the descriptions of the birds. Amazon should not be listing them as if they were the same book in a different format. Recently I was on a field trip with Jon Dunn. He emphasized the importance of knowing status and distribution in identifying birds. I went home & dug out my old Birds of CA: Status & Distribution. I went to Amazon to see about getting another. I saw the paperback (quail on front) and saw a review that said books were not the same. I read the copyright of the 2012 book and nowhere did it refer to the older status book. I was sure they weren't the same but got the newer one for an honest comparison. Both are useful in their own way. The older one is a treasure for the serious birder.

I am a frequent hiker in the San Diego area and often see colorful little birds as I climbs hills, mount ridge tops, and head up canyons. After years of being clueless I decided to buy this book, and it has helped me identify dozens of birds of Southern California. The format is a couple of pictures and a page of discussion for each bird, with an excellent index in the back that lists all the birds so they're easy to find. I use this book often, and I recommend it to anyone interested in birds in San Diego County. So far I have found the Red-Tailed Hawk, the Hooded Oriole, the Lesser Goldfinch and the Western Bluebird, among others. It increases my sense of pleasure in going out into nature when I can put a name to the critters I come across. A first-rate bird-book, and small enough to fit in a pocket so you can take it with you into the field, and yet it contains hundreds of birds.

Very comfortable book for birding in socal. Highlight the most common birds and you can also find a section with common birds by their habitat. It's not a professional birding book but very comfortable to easily find a bird in socal. I even prefer it over other books sometimes.