This book is the fifth in a series of natural history volumes originating from the Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center near Palm Desert, California. On the one hand, it is a work of narrow geographic scope, set along a transect from the floor of the Coachella Valley (elevation 9 m) to the highest portions of the Santa Rosa Mountains (which crest at Toro Peak, 2657 m). On the other hand, this book should enjoy wide appeal among birdwatchers and ornithologists over a vastly larger area.