Any puzzlement readers might feel over the identity of the bird on the back cover only serves to strengthen the point I have chosen to illustrate. This species' nondescript, sparrow-like appearance has caused field identification problems throughout much of California in recent years. Its unfamiliarity stems from its absence from North American field guides and avifaunal works, and it is symbolic of the increasing naturalized populations of non-native bird species that now thrive in many human-altered habitats in California.