The beginner’s birding book that covers species found in the Sierra Nevada—from the author of The Law’s Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling. As a naturalist managing the field studies program at the California Academy of Sciences, John Muir Laws noticed that novice birders often distinguish birds by color and size rather than species. This inspired him to create Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide, a unique book that assumes no prior birding knowledge on the part of the reader. Color-coded keys eliminate the time-consuming frustration of thumbing randomly through a guide, and a cross-index is also included for more advanced birders. All this in a format that is simply organized and perfect to read on a smartphone or tablet. A first-rate naturalist, Laws is also an accomplished artist. His illustrations are lively, colorful, and accurate, and drawn to represent species in the manner in which one generally sees them in the field. Praise for John Muir Laws “For those of us who live in California, there are few resources that top the books by John Muir Laws. His Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada and his Pocket Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area combine beautiful illustrations with exacting biological information on birds, beasts, and plants.” —Sierra Magazine