Description

The first book on the birds of California s oaks, from our most lyrical and observant wanderer of the woods.With charm and delight, The Birds in the Oaks introduces us to the birds who burrow, forage, and soar among California s keystone trees. The mighty oak hosts a multitude of avian denizens–from canopy hoppers to ground nesters to short-billed surface pluckers–who rely on the trees well-stocked pantry of acorns, insects, and flowers for sustenance and shelter. Spunky kinglets, crimson-eyed towhees, cuddle-craving bushtits, intrepid nuthatches, and impudent wrens are among the many memorable cast members in this pageant of oak-allied birds.Jack Gedney lyrically conveys the beautiful, comic, and endearing qualities of over fifteen bird species, each profile paired with an illustration by Angelina Gedney. His bird-filled tales of adaptation, ingenuity, and sheer persistence also bring to light the warp and weft of cross-species interdependence. The Birds in the Oaks reveals to us the utter joy of birds, the superabundant world of the oaks, and the innumerable interconnections these living beings create.