| Preface and Acknowledgements |
| I have been interested in winter bird distribution for many years and have enjoyed countless Christmas Bird Counts and other winter excursions. Because there is no easy way to extract the status of the region's birds in winter from the many state, provincial, and regional bird books on the market I decided to generate a basic book on winter birds to fill this gap. I appreciate the opportunity provided by OSU Press to bring this publication to a wide audience. |
| Any book that covers so large a region necessarily extends beyond the knowledge of any one observer or researcher. I appreciate the willing help of many people who provided information and truth-checked early drafts of the text and maps. The commitment of Hendrik Herlyn in revising the text and drawing the first maps was of special note. |
| The following people deserve special thanks for reviewing drafts and / or providing useful comments and information used in the book: Barbara Begg, Dick Cannings, Tom Crabtree, Gary Davidson, Mike Denny, Phil Mattocks, Craig Miller, Harry Nehls, Tom Rogers, Chris Siddle, Shirley Sturts, Dan Svingen, Chuck Trost, and Terry Wahl. Photo credits are listed with each photo. Special thanks to Jo Alexander, Jeff Grass, and Tom Booth from OSU Press for their patience and confidence in this project. |
| This is the fourth publication on which I have worked with the talented nature artist Ramiel Papish of Eugene, Oregon. I thank him as always for helping bring these pages to life. Thanks also to Kristi Whalen for creating the final maps. |
| One reviewer of an earlier draft noted that because I am an Oregon-based observer and writer the book necessarily has a certain Oregon point of view. This is no doubt true, but I hope that I have been able to paint for the most part with a regional brush to allow observers from throughout the northwest to gain some knowledge and pleasure about our winter birds. |
| This book is not a comprehensive reference to the region's birds. Readers are referred to the major state, provincial, and local publications for more detailed accounts. |
 | ALAN CONTRERAS
MAY 1997 |
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