[Book review] The birds of San Diego County

San Diego County, California is larger in area than 2 of the 50 states (combined), its geographic (and thus biological) diversity ranges from the seacoast across mountains of nearly 2,000 m elevation to extreme desert, it is the southwesternmost county of the contiguous U.S., and it is inhabited by dedicated birders whose observations have boosted the county list to more than 450 species. "The Birds of San Diego County" provides detailed information on the geographic, ecological, and temporal distribution and abundance of each of the 449 species of native birds reported in the county-for some, by subspecies. Maps of breeding distribution are presented for 129 of the 181 breeding species (of which 26 are considered to be extirpated or only occasional breeders). Ecological zones and terms of abundance are defined precisely, and the definitions are adhered to. Welcomely absent are long para- graphs of descriptive and generalized information.