Monterey County—a large coastal county in central California—is famous for its agreeable climate, varied landscape, and a bird list of 482 species, about 78% of California’s total and nearly 50% of all species recorded in the United States. It has hosted several first state records (e.g., of the Long-toed Stint) and even some first North American records (e.g., of Stejneger’s Petrel).
This book is a fully updated and expanded version of Roberson’s out-of-print 1985 first edition of Monterey Birds, which summarized the status and distribution of this county’s ample avifauna. All species are now treated more thoroughly, including 54 that have been recorded in the county since the first edition was published, and the result is a book twice the size of the first edition (536 pages vs. 266 pages). The format is essentially unchanged and follows that of most regional “when and where” bird books, with individual species accounts as its core.