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Maria Mudd-Ruth
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Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet Paperback – July 30, 2013

by Maria Ruth (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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"Compelling… engaging."--Library Journal

"Rare insights into the trials and joys of scientific discovery."--Publisher’s weekly

Part naturalist detective story and part environmental inquiry, Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet celebrates the fascinating world of an endangered seabird that depends on the contested old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest for its survival.

“This chunky little seabird stole my heart.” So confesses Maria Mudd Ruth, a veteran nature writer perfectly happy to be a generalist before getting swept up in the strange story of the marbled murrelet. This curiosity of nature, which flies like a little brown bullet at up to 100 miles an hour and lives most of its life offshore, is seen onland only during breeding season, when each female lays a single egg high on a mossy tree limb in the ancient coastal forest.

Ruth traces reports of the bird back to Captain Cook’s ill-fated voyage of discovery on the Pacific Ocean in 1778, and explores the mindset of 19th- and 20th-century naturalists who — despite their best efforts — failed to piece together clues to the whereabouts of the bird’s nest. Ruth ventures to coastal meadows before dawn and onto the ocean at midnight to learn firsthand how scientists observe nature. She interviews all the major players in the drama: timber company executives and fishing fleet operators whose businesses are threatened by conservation measures, as well as the so-called cowboy scientists who are devoted to saving the marbled murrelet from extinction. And, ultimately, Ruth puts her curiosity and passion for this rare bird onto the page for readers to savor.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Mountaineers Books
  4. Publication date
    July 30, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.9 x 8.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1594858357
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1594858352
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MARIA MUDD RUTH has written more than a dozen books on natural history topics, including volumes on butterflies, beetles, snakes, rain forests, deserts, and oceans. Her work has appeared in publications produced by the National Geographic Society, where she worked as a researcher and editor for seven years. She grew up in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to Southern California in pursuit of the marbled murrelet. In 2006, Maria moved with her family to Olympia, Washington. Learn more at her websites http://mariaruthbooks.blogspot.com and http://www.mariaruthbooks.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mountaineers Books; Reprint edition (July 30, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594858357
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594858352
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

About the author

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Maria Mudd-Ruth

Maria Mudd-Ruth

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Maria Mudd Ruth (1960-) is the author of A Sideways Look at Clouds (Mountaineers Books, Fall 2017)--part natural history, part cloud physics, part memoir about her fascination with and study of clouds--about which she knew nothing prior to moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2006. Maria's story is told with humor and insight and will delight readers who have always wondered about the clouds...but were afraid to ask basic questions such as:

What are the clouds made of?

Why are they white?

How many kinds of clouds are there?

Why are their names so hard to pronounce and remember?

Clouds tell us about the weather--but what else can we learn from them?

Can you swim in a cloud?

Is it too late to start learning about the clouds if you're over 40?

Maria was born in Washington, D.C. and worked for National Geographic TRAVELER magazine for several years before becoming a full-time freelance writer in 1990. She has published more than a dozen books on natural history topics including the critically acclaimed Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet (Mountaineers Books reissue, 2013).

Maria lives in Olympia, Washington, with her husband and under cloudy skies 228+ days a year. To contact the author, please go to her website at www.mariaruthbooks.net or find her on Facebook at Maria Mudd Ruth Author.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Derek Poon
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, earned professional respect
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
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, WA
September 7, 2013
5 people found this helpful
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Catherine M. Peery
5.0 out of 5 stars Guide to the Marbled Murrelet
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
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.
One person found this helpful
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blueizzy
4.0 out of 5 stars The writing was easy to follow and would be a good book for ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2015
Verified Purchase
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.
One person found this helpful
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ME262
5.0 out of 5 stars A great story, full of delights
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
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.
4 people found this helpful
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Halle's Mom
5.0 out of 5 stars A Big Success!!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2014
Verified Purchase
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.
One person found this helpful
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Jan Wieser
5.0 out of 5 stars Rare Bird by Maria Ruth
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2012
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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.
3 people found this helpful
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Julia Cousineau
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2017
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amazing---well written and easy to read--all bird lovers will want this one!!!
One person found this helpful
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Diana
4.0 out of 5 stars Marbled Murrelet
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
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.
One person found this helpful
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