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Reediana

Bay Area Birds (Lukas Guides, 2012)

David Lukas ’93

Reviewed by Stephanie Gustafson ’12
David Lukas

Did you realize that wild turkeys can occasionally turn so aggressive they’ll chase down joggers? That pied-billed grebes are known to lurk beneath the water and peck the feet of unsuspecting intruders? That the elegant great blue heron is not above gobbling up a gopher? This delightful guide takes a biographical approach to the wealth of fascinating fowl that inhabit the Bay Area from Sonoma County to Monterey Bay, providing enthusiastic life stories of 221 species most relevant to the area, with notes on a further 99. Along with careful definitions and distinctions, and tips on where and how to find these birds, David—an English major who worked with Gary Snyder ’51 in the Sierra Nevada—explains who they really are.