Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet

I read this book as it was selected for my "Book Club". The subject, the Marbled Murrelet, made for an interesting read. I live on the west coast so am somewhat familiar with the issues facing our environment here, but anyone that cares about the creatures in the world will get something out of this book. The writing was easy to follow and would be a good book for middle or high school students to read. I enjoyed learning about this "rare bird" but also realized that much of how we degrade the earth is evident in this story and that makes me a bit sad. I was truly amazed at how many folks care so much about this little flying potato of a bird.

Having dealt with the Marbled Murrelet as a former Government Endangered Species Act Specialist, I expected to learn about the bird's mysterious life history and I did--through wonderful descriptions of time on the water and in the forest, and the amazing task of finding the first nest. But for your readers, I was also pleasantly surprised that the book was so entertaining, literally hard to put down.It wasn't just discovery about a secretive little sea bird; Maria earned my respect with her efforts to gain first-hand experience, her understanding of the law and the human psyche, and her humility. Rare Bird is intriguing, informative, often humorous, and a delightful true story.Maria's book, particularly her "A New Epilogue of a Still Rare Bird," described what it will take to reverse the decline of a species threatened with extinction, in a world where humans and animals compete for use of the declining old growth forest.Derek Poon, Ph.D.Seattle, WASeptember 7, 2013

Extremely valuable. We are actually hoping to provide a docent training program for people who can help those who want to participate in a "Dawn Stakeout" and learn to count these birds. This book gives all the information we need to get people started. And its so fun to read. Very funny in places, and great stories about the major episodes in the discoveries associated with this unique and special bird. We hope to start this summer at Gazos Mountain Camp. Let's hope it happens, for the sake of these rare birds, who are getting ever more rare.

If you are interested in learning more about the Marbled Murrelet, this is the book for you. I enjoyed the real life approach to how the author leaned about the bird and who she consulted to obtain this information. It was v very informative and interesting to read.

This is a surprising book-- nonfiction revealed as a story; natural history retold as a mystery; science explained in lively prose. Whether you approach this terrific volume as a naturalist, a generalist, a preservationist, a Darwinian, a lover of the wonders of nature---- or like me, because it is so different than most of my reading list--- you will finish it enthused, forewarned, and wiser. A fine addition to Ruth's work, and kudos to Mountaineers Books for releasing it.

I purchased this book as a birthday gift for a neighbor friend. They have an exotic bird named Sophie and love birds and wildlife. She seen the bird while bird watching and was very happy to receive the book. She use to work for the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco so the book was a great hit. I would only recommend it for someone who has similar interests.

This book has a scientific topic, the decline of the Marbled Murrelet but is written for the everyday person who is interested in nature. Ms. Ruth engages you immediately and I really enjoyed the history of trying to find where they nest and the efforts to help them come back from serious decline.Serious scientists will also get a lot from this book.

amazing---well written and easy to read--all bird lovers will want this one!!!