Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas: 11/08/12

The Ohlone Audubon Society has put together census books of San Francisco Bay Area birds by county.As I live in Alameda County, the Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas by Bob Richmond caught my eye at the library.

The avian census was run in the 1990s. That was a time when the Bay Area was first trying to reclaim environments in earnest (like the salt flats and marshes near the bay). DDT had only recently been banned and raptor populations were still suffering from egg shell weakening.

Due to funding issues and the manpower needed to process the census data, the book wasn't produced until the late 2000s for publishing in 2011.

While this is a relatively new book in terms of date of release, the data contained within doesn't always match current conditions. Take for instance the Wild Turkey — as of the census, sightings of that bird were unconfirmed. Now, they are a common, well established species up and down the mountain ranges that separate western Alameda county from the inland areas and Contra Costa County.

For specific numbers and locations of birds, the book isn't exactly accurate. When combined, though, with modern sighting data, it does help the local birder better understand the birds that might be visiting one's backyard.

Three stars

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