The Bird with Flaming Red Feet: Seasons with an Uncommonly Common Seabird

by Maria Mudd Ruth, Maria Mudd-Ruth

"This is a treat for bird lovers." -- Publishers Weekly


The Bird with Flaming Red Feet is a lively and heartfelt natural history of the Pigeon Guillemot, a charismatic seabird with a surprising story to tell. Found along the coast around the North Pacific and from Alaska to Southern California, this talkative and often-overlooked bird plays an outsized role in the health of marine ecosystem--earning its status as an "indicator species," especially for Washington’s Puget Sound.

Author and longtime volunteer surveyor Maria Mudd Ruth weaves together science, field observation, and community storytelling in this engaging exploration of one bird’s life. Drawing from over a decade of beachside study, she dives deep into the guillemot’s behaviors, quirky traits, and ecological relationships. Along the way, readers meet the passionate citizen scientists who have built a unique community around caring for and studying this vibrant bird.

Bridging the gap between field guide and memoir, The Bird with Flaming Red Feet invites readers to slow down, look closely, and reconnect with the wild places--and creatures--just outside their door. It’s a joyful call to observation, stewardship, and a deeper understanding of our coastal world.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[D. Jay Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the summer of 2018, my friend moved into a new house in the forests of northern Arizona. There was a dilapidated shed in the backyard that was still full of random junk and tools. We worked together to clear it out, and in the process we discovered a secret door to a small hidden compartment between the studs of the back wall. Inside were pages and pages of love letters between the previous owner and a woman in France. Reading the risqué letters was fun, playful, and harmless—a personal look into the secret lives of two lovers in the 1990s.

This book reminded me of that feeling. Less a book about Pigeon Guillemots and more a love letter to a beautiful, unique, and under appreciated species. Maria Mudd Ruth’s passion for these birds reaches an intimacy I’ve never before seen in an educational book.

I saw this book in my local library’s “New Non-Fiction” section and the cover caught my eye. I lived near the Puget Sound for several years, with many visits to all the nearby beaches, but somehow never noticed (or even heard of) the Pigeon Guillemot. I grabbed the book on a whim, and I’m so happy I did.

“The Bird with Flaming Red Feet” is both beautifully written and incredibly informative. This book is my new go-to recommendation for non-fiction, and the new standard for which I’ll judge every educational nature book I read in the future. The next time I visit Seattle, observing a community of Pigeon Guillemots is at the top of my to-do list.

[Craig Merkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved her book . Felt obligated to read it since she is a neighbor of mine and a fellow birder. Recognized people and places I know.
In spite of those things I loved her writing and her descriptions of people and places.
I would recommend this book to anyone birder or not also with the hope that they will read her other books. You won’t be disappointed.