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PREFAC E
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AN OVERVIEW
OF CALIFORNIA BIRDLIFE
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Terms
Specific terms related to avian biology are discussed later in this
overview (e.g., “Taxonomy,” below) or are italicized with defini-
tions provided in the glossary. Some of the general terms used to
describe types of birds are not very precise, but rather refer to gen-
eral behavioral characteristics. In broadest terms, the phrases “wa-
terbirds” and “landbirds” divide the class Aves into those species
whose primary habitat is aquatic and those whose primary habi-
tat is terrestrial. Most field guides are organized taxonomically,
with waterbirds (loons through alcids) in the first half and land-
birds (doves through finches) occupying the second half of the
guide. This order is based on our understanding of the evolution-
ary sequence of avian families, from the most primitive to the
most recent. A few bird families do not fit neatly into these large
groupings, however. Terrestrial groups such as the diurnal birds of
prey (raptors) and upland game birds (quail and grouse) are in-
serted between true waterbirds such as ducks and sandpipers.
Within each of these major divisions are other distinctions
that help to describe physical similarities or habitat preferences
among groups of species. Waterbirds may be “seabirds” or “wa-
terfowl,” or “waders” or “shorebirds.” Seabirds include a wide va-
riety of families and species with diverse taxonomic relationships,
from shearwaters and albatrosses to murrelets and puffins, all of
which occur in offshore, oceanic waters. “Waterfowl” is a term
more limited taxonomically, referring to members of the family
Bioregions
We have organized California into seven bioregions to discuss the
avifauna: Marine Environment, Shoreline, Coast Ranges, Central
Valley and Delta, Mountains and Foothills, Great Basin, and
Deserts. Other books in this natural history series organize the
state’s bioregions differently, depending on their subjects (e.g.,
Schoenherr 1992, Manolis 2003). Because birds are so mobile,
and because most species are quite widely distributed, we have
lumped several regions that could have been treated separately,