The most comprehensive field guide available to the flora and fauna of California--a portable, essential companion for visitors and residents alike--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. This compact volume contains: An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more; A complete overview of California's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky; An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others. The guide is packed with visual information -- the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 14 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as 150 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals.

Identify Birds with California’s Best-Selling Bird Guide! Make bird-watching in California even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela’s famous bird guide, field identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This handy book features 176 species of California birds organized by color for ease of use. Full-page photographs present the species as you’ll see them in nature, and a “compare” feature helps you to decide between look-alikes. Inside you’ll find: 176 species: Only California birds! Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section Stan’s Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning images This second edition includes six new species, updated photographs and range maps, expanded information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights. So grab Birds of California Field Guide for your next birding adventure—to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

"The "American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of California" includes more than 300 species birders are most likely to see in the state. Illustrated with nearly 450 crisp, color photographs, it includes clearly written descriptions along with tips of when and where to see birds penned by an expert Californian birder."--Provided by publisher.

"This guidebook volume for the 2016 GSA Cordilleran Section Meeting, which was held in Ontario, California, explores varied geological features of southern California and Nevada, including the Mojave Desert and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument"--

This volume is a guide to aid in identifying animals and plants found in Southern California. Each species is portrayed by an accurate hand-drawn color illustration. Accompanying text presents the common and scientific names of the species, descriptions of size and other identifying characteristics, natural history and fascinating facts, and where you can expect to find that species. The book is organized by color-coded categories: mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, fish, invertebrates, trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses and ferns. The author has included a full-color quick identification guide, an index and an illustrated glossary are among the features designed to enhance ease of use for the reader.

Spotting an animal’s fresh footprints in the wild can conjure a world for the hiker: Why did the deer tracks disappear? Where did the cougar turn off the trail? What does it mean when two sets of footprints seem to coincide? This beautifully illustrated field guide, the first devoted to the tracks and signs of California animals—including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates like spiders and beetles—blends meticulous science with field experience to provide an engaging companion for both armchair exploration and easy field identification. Filled with useful tools for the wildlife expert, and essential background and visual aids for the novice, including in-depth information about the ecology of each species, this book goes beyond basic recognition of types to interpret what animals leave behind as a way of "seeing" how they move through the world.