Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide

by Jeff Miller, Obi Kaufmann (illustrator)

Learn about the wildlife of the Bay Area from a lifelong protector of endangered species, and enjoy the wild ride.

Jeff Miller's quirky guide to the coolest animal neighbors in the Bay Area will have you gawking at elk, whooping with cranes, and crowning yourself a crossing guard for newts before you know it. Join Jeff on a local safari to meet more than sixty species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects, and discover the fascinating and sometimes bizarre mating, feeding, and athletic antics of our most charismatic animals.

Portraits by Obi Kaufmann, the renowned conservationist artist who created The California Field Atlas, bring each animal to vivid life alongside fun facts, comical photos, and maps to help you scope out the best spots to find your furred, feathered, slimy, and slithery friends. Imbued with the author’s deep compassion for the well-being of our local fauna, Bay Area Wildlife reveals why each of these creatures matters, as well as the threats that loom over our region's incredible biodiversity.

Genres: Nonfiction

625 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Miller's guide to Bay Area Wildlife is the most fun I've had reading non-fiction in a long, long time. I loved equally his description of critters I've encountered in the wild (many over decades of visiting Pt Reyes National Seashore, which is well-represented in Miller's where-to-see recommendations) and learning about animals I've never seen outside a zoo or an aquarium, if ever (porcupines, nudibranches, ringtails). Highly recommended for anyone who is out & about in the greater Bay Area (or anyone who seeks motivation to get away from tarmac & tall buildings).

[Charli Mineo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book to read! Great blend of natural history and practical information on spotting bay area wildlife.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone constantly telling my loved ones fun nature facts, this is perhaps the best $35 I’ve ever spent.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is a wonderful guide to discovering/finding/learning about the various types of animal life in the San Francisco Bay area. The book is a nice mix between the fun (hence 'irreverent' in the title) and factual, with the focus always on the factual and understanding the creatures. There are beautiful watercolors of each animal profiled in addition to photographs. The guide is meant for adults but this would also be a great resource for families since the point of the book is to give you the information to find/see these animals in nature and appreciate their unique traits.

The book is broken down by animal type: mammals, marine mammals, fish, reptiles/amphibians, invertebrates, elusive wildlife (those hard to find), introduced species, and those that have gone extinct. There is a nice introduction, then some great sections in the back including watchable wildlife highlights by county, wildlife viewing tips, greater Bay area wildlife festivals, conservations, and ways to share your sightings.

The sections are not exhaustive; e.g., you won't see every bird that manages to float into the Bay area skies. Rather, what you do get is a nice selection of native animals of each type. This allows the author to spend time getting us to know that animal: it's habitat, preferences, quirks, etc. As an example, there are five animals under the reptile section: Alameda Whipsnake, Newts, Rattlesnake, Foothill Yellow Legged Frog, and Giant Salamander.

For each animal, you get several pages of great information. There a large title, beautiful watercolor of the animal, an introduction, history and ecology, best places to see one (including a numbered map), best season for viewing, what to look for, status and conservation, and then a callout box with a photograph and interesting facts.

The fun part is in the titles and interesting facts sections. E.g., "Sea Otter - Adorable Psychopath, or "Roadrunner - Looney Tunes Badass." Facts such as Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds being inspired by sooty Shearwaters that crashed into houses in Monterey in 1961 or that Orcas are 'the undisputed Alpha of the Oceans.' The author both takes the subjects very seriously but always with a little tongue in cheek humor as well.

In all, this is a wonderful guide and well worth the read. Great for adults and older kids to help appreciate and learn more about the wonderful creatures that inhabit the greater San Francisco Bay area. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[lil · Rating 5 out of 5]

i didn’t read this cover-to-cover, but this reads like a delightful series of vignettes about bay area wildlife rather than a sterile guidebook. jeff miller is an engaging and humorous writer, and the illustrations by obi kaufmann are beautiful! i learned so much about my animal neighbors in the bay & about local ecology generally from this guide. and s/o to the center for biological diversity for their work!

[Carpy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a wildlife layperson, this book has changed the way I see the land and the living things around me. There are so many places nearby in the Bay I want to visit because of this book! And so many animals I had no idea were in the Bay. (Why didn't anyone tell me about the local elk before??) I really love the strong thread of conservation throughout the book. It makes me want to support the efforts of the folks trying to save our ecosystems!!!