We deal principally with our own books, and are not a bookstore. Nevertheless, we sometimes acquire used books and journals related to the subjects covered on the SYMBIOS website, and we will offer them for sale on this page. The listings will change frequently, so, if you are in the market, bookmark the site and come back every month or so.
To purchase books off this page: (1) Contact us to assure that the book is available; (2) Tell us that you definitely want it, and we will put it on hold for you for two weeks; and (3) Pay electronically through PayPal or send a check made out to Sanford R. Wilbur [at SYMBIOS, 4367 S. E. 16th Street, Gresham, OR 97080] for the purchase price [in U. S. dollars]; mailing costs are calculated based on the size and weight of the individual book. Purchasers from Canada or other non-U. S. sites should contact us for postal rates to their area. [For anyone ordering more than one book that will be sent in the same package, we will reduce the total mailing costs accordingly.]
NOTE: These books are all pre-owned or "shop-worn," and while every copy is "good," they show some degree of wear.
SANFORD R. WILBUR BOOKS, 4367 S. E. 16th, Gresham, OR 97080-9178
Bagg, A. C., and S.A. Eliot, Jr. 1937.
Birds of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts. Northampton,
MA: The Hampshire Bookshop. Hardbound, no dustjacket [may not
have had one, originally]. 813 pages. $90.00 plus $15.00 mailing.
One of the early New England ornithological "classics."
Our copy has various outside blemishes, but the binding is very
good, and the text is almost spotless.
BARKER, R. 1993. SAVING ALL THE PARTS:
RECONCILING ECONOMICS AND THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. Washington
D. C: Island Press. Paper. 268 pages. ISBN 1-55963-201-1. $5.00
plus $4.00 mailing.
A popular discussion of endangered species, most of them in the
northern Rocky Mountains (grizzlies, wolves, salmon), as they
fit into the local human environment. Our copy looks a little
shopworn, but is clean and solidly bound.
Beissinger, S. R., et al. 2006. Modeling approaches in avian conservation and the role of field biologists. American Ornithologists' Union, Ornithological Monograph No. 59. 56 pages, paper. ISBN 0-943610-66-4. $5.00 plus $4.00 mailing. -- A review of ecological models, and discussion of their role in decision-making. Our copy is very good.
Bent, A. C. 1961. Life Histories of
north American Birds of Prey. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
Two Volumes. Paper. 891 pages of text, total. $12.00 plus $5.00
mailing.
These are Dover's unaltered reproductions of Bent's original works,
first published by the Smithsonian in 1937. The bindings are very
good, but both volumes have stains and mars.
Bent, A. C. 1962. Life Histories of
North American Wild Fowl. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. Two
Volumes, Paper. 558 pages of text total. $11.00 plus $5.00 mailing.
These are Dover's unaltered reproductions of Bent's original works,
first published by the Smithsonian in 1923 and 1925. The bindings
are very good, but both volumes have stains and mars.
Blake, E. R. 1953. Birds of Mexico.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Hardbound [dust jacket missing].
644 pages.$12.00 plus $5.00 mailing.
There are newer treatments of Mexican birds available, but "Blake"
remains a useful reference. The binding on this copy is solid,
and overall the condition is very good.
Brown, L. 1971. African Birds of Prey:
A Study of Africa's 89 Diurnal Raptors and 31 Owls. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin.Hardbound, with dust jacket. 320 pages. First American
Printing. $15.00 plus $4.00 mailing.
Still an excellent contribution from one of the world's best raptor
researchers. Our copy is in very condition, with only a few internal
blemishes. The dust jacket is slightly worn, but binding is excellent.
Carpenter, L. B. 1990. Idaho wildlife
viewing guide. Helena and Billings, MT: Falcon Press. Paper. 104
pages. ISBN 1-56044-021-X. $3.00 plus $3.00 mailing.
This is one of a series of state guides to good places for watching
wildlife - has maps, color photos, recommendations on when to
go, and lists of what can be seen. Our copy is in nearly new condition.
Davison, V. E. 1967. Attracting birds:
from the Prairies to the Atlantic. New York: Thomas J. Crowell
Company. Hard-bound, with dust jacket. 252 pages. $8.00 plus $4.00
mailing.
This book was done by a Soil Conservation Service biologist who
devoted much of his career to wildlife and their food plants.
There are sections on bird feeding and bird houses, but the emphasis
is on plantings to attract various birds. Still very useful. Our
copy is worn with some internal stains.
Drennan, S. R. 1981. Where to find
birds in New York State: the top 500 sites. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse
University Press. Hard-bound, with dust jacket. 499 pages. ISBN
0-8156-2250-3. $12.00 plus $4.50 mailing.
Very detailed book on where to find birds in New York State. It
is 25 years old, so some of the sites and directions have changed,
but still very useful. The dust jacket of our copy is torn and
frayed, but the book is in very good condition.
Dunne, P., D. Keller, and R. Kochenberger.
1984. Hawk Watch: a guide for beginners. Cape May Point, NJ: Cape
May Bird Observatory/New Jersey Audubon Society. Paper. 80 pages.
$4.00 plus $3.00 mailing.
Just what it says it is: a good introduction to watching migrating
hawks. Great line drawings by David Sibley. Our copy looks used,
but is solidly bound and has no bad mars or stains.
Dunne, P., D. Sibley, and C. Sutton.
1988. Hawks in Flight: the flight identification of north american
raptors. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co. Paper. 254 pages. ISBN
0-395-51022-8. $6.00 plus $3.00 mailing.
Very nice raptor identification guide: lots of line drawings and
photos included. Our copy is a little worn on the cover edges,
but tightly bound and clean.
Ellison, W. G. 1981. A guide to bird finding in Vermont. Woodstock, Vermont: Vermont Institute of Natural Science. Paper, 134 pages. $4.00 plus $4.00 mailing -- A good guide to both general considerations and specifics of birding in Vermont. It is over 25 years old now, but Vermont has not changed so much that descriptions and directions are no longer valid. Our copy has clearly been well used, but the binding is still good and there are no loose pages.
Gabrielson, I. N., and S. G. Jewett.
1970. Birds of the Pacific Northwest. New York: Dover Publications.
Paper. 650 pages. $9.00 plus $4.50 mailing.
This is the unabridged Dover version of the 1940 "Birds of
Oregon," originally published by Oregon State College. It
is still a very useful reference for birds in the Northwest. The
cover of our copy shows wear, and there is slight dog-earing on
the first pages, but overall a good, sound copy.
Grinnell, J. 1924. Bibliography of
California Ornithology:Second Installment. Berkeley, CA: Cooper
Ornithological Club. Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 16. Paper. 191
pages. $16.00 plus $4.50 mailing.
This is the second of three publications, listing and annotating
virtually all of the early literature pertaining to California
birds. They are indispensible for anyone studying the history
of California ornithology. Our copy is "like new," but
it has a sewn binding that would not stand up to heavy use.
Grinnell, J. 1939. Bibliography of
California Ornithology:Third Installment. Berkeley, CA: Cooper
Ornithological Club. Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 26. Paper. 235
pages. $16.00 plus $4.50 mailing.
This is the third of three publications, listing and annotating
virtually all of the early literature pertaining to California
birds. They are indispensible for anyone studying the history
of California ornithology. Our copy is "like new," but
it has a sewn binding that would not stand up to heavy use.
Grinnell, J., H. C. Bryant and T.
I. Storer. 1918. The Game Birds of California. Berkeley: University
of California Press. Hardbound. 641 pages. $125.00 plus $10.00
mailing.
One of the classic early ornithological works, complete with Fuertes
color plates. Our copy shows minor wear at the top and bottom
of the spine, and has tape marks on the inside front and back
covers where some sort of cover and a book plate were removed.
Overall, very sound condition.
Grinnell, J., and A. H. Miller. 1944.
The Distribution of the Birds of California. Berkeley, CA: Cooper
Ornithological Club. Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 27. Hardbound.
608 pages. $22.00 plus $6.50.
One of the "musts" for students of California ornithology.
Our copy shows many signs of age and wear, but is reasonably clean,
has no marks in the text, and is still bound well.
Grossman, M. L., and J. Hamlet. 1964.
Birds of Prey of the World. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
Hardbound, Dust Jacket Missing. 496 pages. $20.00 plus $8.00 mailing.
One of the nice, early coffee-table books on birds of prey, with
much useful information, as well. Our copy is in good overall
condition [clean, with solid binding], but is missing the dust
jacket and also a one-page color chart ["Paint chip"
samples of colors used to describe plumage].
Harris, L. D. 1984. The Fragmented
Forest: Island Biogeography Theory and the preservation of Biotic
Diversity. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Paper.
211 Pages. ISBN 0-226-31764-1. $10.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
One of the pioneering studies of forest fragmentation, and its
effects on wildlife and the forest environment. Our one copy is
essentially "new."
Hawaii Audubon Society. 1967. Hawaii's birds. 88 pages, paper. $2.00 plus $2.00 mailing. -- Color photos or paintings of both native and non-native Hawaiian birds, with brief descriptions of each. Not significant, but still a nice, useful pocket guide. Our copy is solidly bound and has no writing or underlining in it, but obviously has seen some field use.
Heintzelman, D. S. 1979. A guide to
hawk watching in north america. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania
State University Press. Paper. 284 pages. ISBN 0-271-00212-3.
$4.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
Very good book for its time, but surpassed by a spate of more
recent hawk watching books. The species descriptions, photographs,
and site descriptions are still useful. Our copy looks like it
had a hard life, but is solidly bound.
Heintzelman, D. S. 1986. The Migration
of Hawks. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
Hardbound, with dust jacket. 369 pages. ISBN 0-253-33821-2. $12.00
plus $4.00 mailing.
A good explanation of the massive raptor migrations that take
place in the fall and spring in North America. Includes descriptions
of many proven hawk-watching sites. On our copy, the dust jacket
is frayed, but the binding is very good, and the book overall
is very clean.
Isleib, M. E., and B. Kessel. 1989.
Birds of the North Gulf Coast - Prince William Sound Region, Alaska.
Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press. Paper. 149 pages. ISBN
0-912006-39-0. $4.00 plus $3.00 mailing.
This is a reprint of University of Alaska Biological Paper No.
14 [Nov. 1973]. It includes a 37-page discussion of the character
of the Alaskan Coast, and then a fully annotated discussion of
the various bird species found there. Our copy is only slightly
shop-worn.
Kaufman, K. 1990. A Field Guide to
Advanced Birding. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Paper. 299 pages.
ISBN 0-395-53376-7. $7.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
This is one of the more recent entries in the "Peterson Field
Guide" series. We have one copy. It is a little shopworn,
but essentially "new."
KOHM, K. A. [editor]. 1991. Balancing
on the Brink of Extinction: The Endangered Species Act and Lessons
for the Future. Washington,D.C. and Covelo,CA: Island Press. Paper.
315 pages. ISBN 1-55963-006-x. $10.00 plus $4.00 mailing.
This is a multiple-author book, exploring various legal aspects
of the Endangered Species Act. Our copy is essentially "new."
La Tourette, J. 1992. Washington wildlife
viewing guide. Helena and Billings, MT: Falcon Press. Paper. 96
pages. ISBN 1-56044-150-X. $2.00 plus $2.50 mailing.
This is one of a series of state guides to good places for watching
wildlife - has maps, color photos, recommendations on when to
go, and lists of what can be seen. Our copy is in nearly new condition.
MATTHES, F. E. 1930. GEOLOGIC HISTORY
OF YOSEMITE VALLEY. U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper
No. 160. Washington, D. C. Government Printing Office. Paper.
137 pages, with three maps in back jacket. $75.00 plus $10.00
mailing.
This is the famous study of California's Yosemite Valley, replete
with many photographs, maps and graphs. The back cover is torn
off but is still with the book, including all the maps in the
original map jacket. Other than the torn back cover, our copy
is slightly dog-eared, but otherwise spotless.
McElroy, T. P., Jr. 1973. The New
Handbook for Attracting Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Hardbound,dust
jacket. 262 pages. $5.00 plus $4.00 mailing.
There are better books now, but this is still a very useful book
covering all aspects of attracting birds - houses, feeding, plantings,
etc. Our copy has a frayed dust jacket and a few internal blemishes,
but the binding is very good.
Miller, A.H., I. I McMillan and E.
McMillan. 1965. The current status and welfare of the california
condor. New York, NY: National Audubon Society Research Report
No. 6. Paper. 61 pages. $8.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
Often quoted report from the early years of condor studies. more
of a "political" document than science, it sheds light
on the beginnings of some of the well-known condor recovery controversies.
Our copy is solidly bound; there are some mars on the front cover.
Monson, G., and A. R. Phillips. 1981. Annotated checklist of the birds of Arizona. Second edition, revised and expanded. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press. 240 pages, paper. ISBN 0-8165-0753-8. $3.00 plus $4.00 mailing. -- Still very useful, pocket-sized description of Arizona birds. Our copy is a little shopworn, but solidly bound and clean.
NEW HAMPSHIRE BIRD RECORDS. An incomplete
run of 20 issues, 1990 to 1994. $10.00 plus $4.00 mailing.
This is a quarterly publication of the Audubon Society of New
Hampshire. Each issue contains a brief summary of the season just
past, discussing what factors might have affected bird presence,
numbers and distribution. The bulk of each issue is a list of
significant records of New Hampshire birds during the previous
3 months.
ORTEGA, C. P., J. F. CHACE AND B.
D. PEER (EDITORS). 2005. MANAGEMENT OF COWBIRDS AND THEIR HOSTS:
BALANCING SCIENCE, ETHICS, AND MANDATES. American Ornithologists'
Union, Ornithological Monographs No. 57. Paper. 114 pages. ISBN
0-943610-63-X. $5.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
Eight chapters by various researchers on various aspects of cowbird
biology and management. Our copy is new.
Peterson, R. T., and E. L. Chalif.
1973. A Field Guide to Mexican Birds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co. Hardbound, with dust jacket. 298 pages. ISBN 0-395-17129-6.
$10.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
This is one of the "Peterson Field Guide" series. There
are new field guides for Mexican birds, but this one is still
very useful. Our copy is clean and firmly bound; the dust jacket
has some scuffing.
Pettingill, O. S., Jr. 1977. A Guide
to Bird Finding East of the Mississippi. New York: Oxford University
Press. Hard-bound, with dust jacket. 689 pages. $9.00 plus $3.
50 mailing.
This is the second, much revised edition of what was the first
serious "bird-finding" guide. It and its companion Western
guide [below] are now seriously out-of-date, as far as localities
described, but the introductions for each state are still very
helpful. Our copy has miscellaneous grease and liquid spots on
the cover. The binding and innards are very good.
Pettingill, O. S., Jr. 1981. A Guide
to Bird Finding West of the Mississippi. New York: Oxford University
Press. Hard-bound, with dust jacket. 783 pages. $9.00 plus $3.50
mailing.
This is the second, much revised edition of what was the first
serious "bird-finding" guide. It and its companion Eastern
guide [above] are now seriously out-of-date, as far as localities
described, but the introductions for each state are still very
helpful. Our copy has miscellaneous grease and liquid spots on
the covers, and the dust jacket is frayed, but the binding and
contents are very good.
Pierson, E. C., and J. E. Pierson. 1981. A birder's guide to the coast of Maine. Camden, Maine: Down East Books. Paper, 224 pages. ISBN 0-89272-118-9. $4.00 plus $4.00 mailing. -- Even though over 25 years old, still a serviceable guide to good birding locations on the Maine coast. Our copy is well-used, but clean with solid binding.
Ridgely, B. S. 1988. Birds of the
Squam Lakes Region. Holderness, NH: Squam Lakes Association. Paper.
356 pages. $8.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
A very good regional fauna, useable throughout northern and central
New England. This is the completely revised and expanded edition
of the book first published in 1977. The front cover of our copy
has some creasing. The binding is very good.
SANDS, A. [editor]. 1980. Riparian
Forests of California: Their Ecology and Conservation. Berkeley,
CA: University of California. Paper. 122 pages. ISBN 0-931876-41-9.
$10.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
This is a compilation of papers presented at a symposium on Riparian
Forests, held at Davis, CA, 14 May 1977. Good view of an "endangered
habitat." Our copy is in good condition, with only slight
discoloration on the cover edges.
STRANGIS, J. M. 1996. BIRDING MINNESOTA.
Helena, MT: Falcon Press. Paper. 284 pages. ISBN 1-56044-425-8.
$10.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
An up-to-date "where to find birds" guide to Minnesota.
Many maps, good site descriptions, info on where to stay, etc.
Our copy is new condition.
Temple, S. A. (editor). 1983. bird
conservation 1. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. paper.
148 pages. ISBN 0-299-08984-3. $8.00 plus $3.50 mailing.
This is an annual report of the International Council for Bird
Preservation, with lengthy papers on the current status of various
bird species. Principal bird species covered in this issue are
peregrine falcon, bald eagle and California condor, but there
are shorter notes on dusky seaside sparrows, parrots, woodpeckers,
and various raptors. Our copy is in very good condition.
Townsend, C. W. 1905. The Birds of
Essex County, Massachusetts. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Nuttall
Ornithological Club. Hardbound [series did not have dust jackets].
352 pages. $65.00 plus $9.00 mailing.
This is Memoir No. III of the Nuttall Ornithological Club. With
its supplement volume [see below], it provides a baseline for
bird studies in eastern Massachusetts, and then a review of what
had changed 15 years later. Our copy is very good, except that
the final page and map have come loose from the bindings.
Townsend, C. W. 1920. Supplement to
the birds of Essex County, Massachusetts. Cambridge: Nuttall Ornithological
Club. Hardbound [series did not have dust jackets].196 pages.
$35.00 plus $7.50 mailing.
This is Memoir No. V of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and supplements
the original study completed in 1900 [see above]. Our copy has
various age marks, but overall is sound and very good.
Tyler, J. G. 1913. Some Birds of the
Fresno District, California. Hollywood, CA: Cooper Ornithological
Club. Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 9. Paper. 114 pages. $10.00 plus
$4.00 mailing.
This is one of the important early local avifauna studies, describing
the bird life of California's San Joaquin Valley before major
agricultural development. Our copy has the title written in ink
on the spine. It has good binding.
Western, D., and M. Pearl. 1989. Conservation
for the Twenty-first Century. New York and Oxford: Oxford University
Press. Hardbound, with dustjacket. 365 pages. ISBN 0-19-505474-1
$12.00 and $6.00 mailing.
A multi-author treatment of issues facing the world in the next
hundred years. Topics include population growth, communities and
ecosystems, and planning. Our copy is "new."
Wilbur, S. R. 1978. The California
Condor, 1966-76: A Look at its Past and Future. Washington, D.C:
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North American Fauna Series Number
72.Paper. 136 pages. Free while they last, pay postage only [$4.00].
This is still the most complete history of the endangered condor
up to the beginning of recent "recovery" efforts. Included
is a 40-page annotated bibliography of condor literature. We have
several copies, all with some spine and cover wear, but with good
binding.
WILBUR, S. R., AND J. A. JACKSON (editors).
1983. VULTURE BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT. Berkeley and Los Angeles:
University of California Press. Hardbound, with dust jacket. 550
pages. ISBN 0-520-04755-9. $65.00 plus $8.00 mailing.
This is still the comprehensive work on vultures of the world,
a multiple author product from the International Symposium on
the Vultures, held in Santa Barbara, California, in 1979. The
book is out of print. Our copy is new.
Yaffee, S. L. 1994. The Wisdom of
the Spotted Owl: Policy Lessons for a New Century. Washington,D.C.
and Covelo, CA: Island Press. Paper. 430 pages. ISBN 1-55963-204-6.
$12.00 plus $4.50 mailing.
The author discusses the spotted owl - old growth forest issue
in detail, giving his opinion on why the controversy reached such
major proportions, and suggesting implications for the future.
Interesting coverage. Our copy is very good, except for a couple
of dog-eared pages.
Yocom, C.F., and S. W. Harris. 1975.
Birds of northwestern california. Arcata, Ca: privately published.
Paper. 74 pages. $4.00 plus $3.00 mailing.
There are some newer publications now, but this is still a well
done, very useful publication on birds of the northwestern part
of California, including Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity and Del
Norte counties. Our copy is in good condition.