Meet Ezra Murray

I recently had the good fortune to become acquainted with a remarkable young man by the name of Ezra Murray. Ezra is 16 years old and lives in Crestline. He reached out to me to learn more about Mountain Bird Expeditions, but I immediately became intrigued by this person who demonstrated such a keen knowledge of birds at such an early age.

Ezra shared with me that he was about to publish a book focused on birdwatching in the San Bernardino Mountains. That is a remarkable accomplishment for anyone, let alone a 16 year old! His book demonstrates a significant level of knowledge about local birds, birding and bird habitats. To my knowledge, there is only one other book about local birds. It was authored by Anita Booth and published in 2001.

While Ms. Booth’s book is more comprehensive than Ezra’s in terms of species covered, his book is hyper local and provides detailed accounts of some of the best birding spots from Crestline to Running Springs. Ezra offers descriptions of various birding “hot spots” and includes the species you are most likely to encounter, as well as suggestions for the best time of year to visit these trails.

Anyone interested in local birdlife will find this little book a great companion to whatever field guides and birding apps they use.

I recently asked Ezra a few questions to get to know him. Please read on to learn more about this extraordinary young man.

You are a local high school student and you’ve just published your first book on birdwatching. Congratulations! What is the name of the book and what made you decide to write it?

The name of the book is Birding Guide to the San Bernardino Mountains: Crestline to Running Springs and it is available on amazon.com. I decided to write it because of the lack of exposure our mountains have and how they are so prolific with bird life.

What got you interested in birds?

I became interested in birds from a young age both with pet birds and wild birds. One of my earliest memories with wild birds is when I was with my family in Yosemite National Park and because of intense snowfall, a Steller's Jay perched itself on our balcony for a long time.

What can you tell us about yourself? (What school you attend, where you grew up, what other interests you have, etc.).

I attend Sage Oak Charter School, and I grew up in La Mirada. My main other interest is music, and I'm a member of the local group Mountain Top Strings of California.

How did you go about writing the book? How did you gather the information that is in it?

The main way I went about writing the book was familiarizing myself with the area I was going to write about. I then compiled all my knowledge and other data, mainly sourced from eBird.org, and wrote each hotspot individually. After this, I formatted the book and made everything look nice. 

Where is your favorite place here in the mountains for birding, and why?

My favorite place to go birding on the mountains is called Sawmill Road Trail. This place is my favorite because it is the spot where my love of birding really took flight.

What are your future plans? What’s next for Ezra Murray?

As for future plans, I hope to go to college and get my degree in Biology with a specialization in Ornithology. I also hope to at some point write a part two to this book, covering the area from Green Valley Lake to Big Bear and Forest Falls.

Those of us who are interested in birds, wildlife, and the natural environment at times become disheartened with the state of nature and the environmental challenges that lie ahead. But people like Ezra give me hope for a better future.