Bay Area Wildlife

Jeff Miller is the founder of the Alameda Creek Alliance and has served as executive director since 1997. Jeff also works with the Center for Biological Diversity on media, outreach, writing endangered species listing petitions, and working on biodiversity issues and endangered species protection throughout California. He lives in Ashland, OR. Obi Kaufmann is the author and illustrator of The California Field Atlas (2017), The State of Water (2019), The Forests of California (2020), The Coasts of California (2022), and The Deserts of California (2023), all published by Heyday.

Introduction


How to Use This Guide


Stuff with Fur: Mammals






Tule Elk—A Resounding Clash of Antlers
Bobcat, Fox and Weasel—Pint-Sized Predator Safari
Coyote—Return of the Trickster
River Otter—Aquatic Death Weasels
Badger—Who’s Badgering Who?
Beaver—Worth A Dam
Bats—Lords of the Night

Blubber Fest: Marine Mammals


Elephant Seal—Nature in the Raw
Orca—Some Call Them Killer
Sea Otter—Adorable Psychopaths
Whales—Seeking Leviathan
Sea Lion—In Praise of Blubber
















Feathered Dinosaurs: Birds






Roadrunner—Looney Tunes Bad-Ass
Yellow-Billed Magpie—A Tiding of Iridescence
Vaux’s Swift—Autumnal Chimney Tornado
Sandhill Crane—The Trumpet in the Orchestra
Albatross—Chumming for Tubenoses
Night-Heron—A Racket in the Rookery
Clapper Rail—Cryptic Marsh Chickens
Black Skimmer—Aerial Beagles
Raptors—Hawk Hill
Bald Eagle—On A Wing and A Prayer
Burrowing Owl—The Superb Owl
Peregrine Falcon—Screaming Death Parrot
Pileated Woodpecker—Built for Headbanging
Loggerhead Shrike—The Butcherbird
Rare Wood-Warblers—Pursuing Avian Gems


















Pissing in Your Drinking Water: Fish






Salmon and Steelhead—Spawn Till You Die
Grunion—Greeting the Grunion
Sturgeon—Monsters From the Deep
Herring and Anchovy—Bait Ball
Leopard Shark and Bat Ray—Eelgrass Adventures
Lamprey—A Seriously Punk Rock Fish
Great White Shark—Devil’s Teeth










Cold-Blooded Herps: Reptiles and Amphibians






Alameda Whipsnake—The Chaparral Striped Racer
Newt—Psychedelic Pond Orgy
Rattlesnake—Adrenaline Rush
Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog—Amorous Amplexus
Giant Salamander—Humongous Barking Babies








Spineless Creepy Crawlies: Invertebrates






Monarch Butterfly—Multi-Generational Migration
Tarantula—Post-Coital Snack
Ladybug—Loveliness at the Ladybug Hotel
Nudibranchs—Hardcore Tidepooling
Jellyfish—Smacks and Blooms








Ghosts, Phantoms and Rumors: Rare and Elusive Wildlife






Mountain Lion—Ghost Cat
Pronghorn—On Fine Fleet Limbs
San Francisco Garter Snake—The Turquoise Serpent
Ringtail—Elusive Acrobat
Mountain Beaver—The Western Wombat
Condor—Thunderbird Back from the Brink
Black Bear—Furry Foodie
Porcupine—Stab Rabbit











Oddities: Introduced Species






Fallow Deer—The Spiritual Unicorns of Point Reyes
Feral Parakeets—The Urban Jungle





Lost and Missing: Extinction






Extinct and Extirpated—Missing Species of the Bay Area




Watchable Wildlife Highlights by County


Wildlife Viewing Tips


Greater Bay Area Wildlife Festivals


Conservation


Ways to Share Your Sightings


Acknowledgments


Photo Credits


About the Author