Basics: 2001, 2nd edition, softcover, 525 pages, b&w illustrations of 474 species, excellent range maps

This is a good reference and overview of the natural histories of all land vertebrates in Oregon (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians). The focus of the book is to give the reader a general background on each of the species and to provide a range map of the animal’s distribution in the state.

For me, the maps are the most valuable component. With outlines of all counties, the shaded distributions are by far the most detailed I’ve encountered. The ranges do not necessarily show where the species has been documented, but is a predicted range based on vegetation maps. Where the appropriate vegetation maps intersect with the known distribution boundaries of the species, the range is shaded in. This prevents a generic area from being colored in and incorrectly making it appear that a mountain bird is located in the lowlands. This technique produces a unique looking map for river-faithful species. It also creates a great comparison of the Pacific-slope versus Cordilleran Flycatcher ranges.

The text uses the same template of six categories for all animals. These are global range, habitat, reproduction, food habits, ecology, and comments. This information is general in nature. It may not provide anything new to the experienced naturalist, but it does offer a good overview to all the species for anyone who’d like to enhance their initial knowledge about Oregon’s wildlife.

Lastly, each animal is illustrated with a black-and-white line drawing. The artistry is decent, but with a few proportion problems on some of the birds, especially the Pelagic Cormorant. The poor bird appears to have had its head shrunk. These illustrations are merely decorative and to give the reader a general image of the animal being discussed. They’re not meant to be used for identification. There are many other books for that, but few that do what this book offers in terms of natural history on a state level.

I’ve listed several related books below…
1) Birds of Oregon by Gabrielson/Jewett
2) Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution by Wahl et al.
3) Breeding Birds of Washington State by Smith et al.
4) Birds of Washington State by Jewett et al.
5) The Birds of Washington by Dawson
6) Birds of the Pacific Northwest by Gabrielson/Jewett
7) Birds of Idaho by Burleigh ( )