Best bird guides by region...Central and South America (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

I don't know whether this has come up here before, but after posting trip reports recently, it struck me again. BF - and many others - consider Mexico to be part of North America. But going through these "sticky threads", it seems clear that Mexico belongs to Central America in the opinion of those who discuss the topic of FGs.

Howell and Webb tell you that the major change in Avifauna happens at the isthmus of Tehuantepec. However, Andy Kratter here in BF has argued that the change in Avifauna at the Rio Grande (but going north of the sky-islands of SE Arizona) is a stronger change than the change in Avifauna at the isthmus of Tehuantepec. The areas of Yucatan certainly do not induce a strong change in Avifauna at the border of Mexico and it's southern neighbors. Therefore, areas East and South of the Isthmus are certainly Central America, and the rest of Mexico you can go with who you believe in

Niels

 

[Andy Adcock]

I've always thought of Mexico as being the Southern part of North America but in terms of the avifauna, there's obviously a crossover zone where birds species become increasingly tropical.

This argument exists in Europe too with what is or isn't in the Western Palearctic and I've said before that there should probably be a recognised zone of transition such as Wallacea where Asian species, become increasingly Australasian.

 

[Dan Miller]

Haven't seen this mentioned yet- The second edition of Garrigues & Dean's The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide has been printed in Spanish as Aves de Costa Rica: Guía de Campo.

It is bigger (and a little heavier) than the English version - 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 vs 5 x 7 3/4 (inches). Page count is almost the same: 429 to 425.

Within, layout is the same, except in español; common names are given in Spanish, with local CR names also included. English names are also given for each as part of the description. The quick index on the inside back cover is in Spanish. The added pages allow for a full index in English as well as the one in Spanish.

Because the layout of both is the same, it is easy for folks using either guide to refer to the same page while identifying birds in the field. A huge plus, in my opinion.

I bought my copy locally in Monteverde, not sure if it is available online yet.

 

[Swissboy]

Haven't seen this mentioned yet- The second edition of Garrigues & Dean's The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide has been printed in Spanish as Aves de Costa Rica: Guía de Campo.

……………..

That's very good news. I think that every country should have at least one FG in its own language. Unless they have so many languages like in New Guinea, of course. :smoke:

 

[Jon Turner]

Just skimmed through all this thread, but can find no reference to Paraguay.
A friend is about to spend several months (from mid January) in Paraguay and would love to take a field guide with him.
Anyone have any ideas? I think Paraguay is fairly small and could be covered by Field Guides to neighbouring countries.
Anyone with experience and advice would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Jon,
there isn't one for Paraguay, you'd have to use a combination of this....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birds-Arge...ds+of+argentina&qid=1574105856&s=books&sr=1-5

and probably this..................

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wildlife-C...of+south+brazil&qid=1574106029&s=books&sr=1-4

There are also these but as an illustrated checklists, I can't speak to the quality.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Southern-A...of+south+brazil&qid=1574105920&s=books&sr=1-3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birds-Sout...birds+of+southern+south,stripbooks,162&sr=1-1

 

[njlarsen]

Out of interest: the first of the guides linked to by Andy is a Wildlife Conservation Society guide. They also have a guide to Pantanal which on a world map does not look like it is too far away from Paraguay. Would the Pantanal guide be helpful?

Niels

 

[Jon Turner]

Thanks Andy and Niels.

I will pass this info on to him.

 

[THE_FERN]

Thanks Andy and Niels.

I will pass this info on to him.

If they speak/read Spanish, there's this. It's an amplification of the Argentina /narosky guide: has English names. In stock apparently, or probably available in country from Guyra Paraguay :

https://www.nhbs.com/guia-para-la-identificacion-de-las-aves-de-paraguay-identification-guide-to-the-birds-of-paraguay-book

http://guyra.org.py/

Should also say they should check out Paul Smith's fauna Paraguay website, and ulf Drechsel's:

https://www.pybio.org/en/

 

[THE_FERN]

Out of interest: the first of the guides linked to by Andy is a Wildlife Conservation Society guide. They also have a guide to Pantanal which on a world map does not look like it is too far away from Paraguay. Would the Pantanal guide be helpful?

Niels

Paraguay has c5% of the Pantanal (Bolivia has a bit more). There is/was a world land trust lodge in the far nw, the Estación Biológica “Los Tres Gigantes” (3 giants, for giant anteater, armadillo and River otter). Not sure how easy access is now: was difficult via bahia negra. This is the wrong time of year to be going there, though. I see wlt have involvement in the chaco and at San Rafael now too (Atlantic forest). Should be good at the latter now

 

[CaliSteve]

Another new field guide to Colombia. Once the Lynx guide is out next year this means three Colombian guides published in less than 3 years. Only wished some other countries was covered nearly as thorough.

https://www.buteobooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=BBBAO&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=15019

 

[Andy Adcock]

Another new field guide to Colombia. Once the Lynx guide is out next year this means three Colombian guides published in less than 3 years. Only wished some other countries was covered nearly as thorough.

https://www.buteobooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=BBBAO&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=15019

Doesn't seem to be available in Europe yet?

Here's another link to a different looking but book.

https://onwatchingbirds.com/2019/04/23/a-new-field-guide-to-the-birds-of-colombia/

I don't really get what Lynx are up to, as has been said before, a guide to Argentina would be a very popular title rather than another for Colombia. I assume that they're unaware of the competition from the above title, doesn't seem a good sales strtaegy to me?

 

[njlarsen]

Well, I just looked at Amazon.com for bird books for Colombia. The cheapest one not by van Perlo was $60. Maybe Lynx feel they can make a coin on a book costing a little bit less?

Niels

 

[Andy Adcock]

Another new field guide to Colombia. Once the Lynx guide is out next year this means three Colombian guides published in less than 3 years. Only wished some other countries was covered nearly as thorough.

https://www.buteobooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=BBBAO&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=15019

$36 postage to the UK from Buteo.

I'd be very grateful if one of our US brethren could do a 'contrast and compare' with previous guides so I can decide whether it's worth stumping up for this?

 

[Swissboy]

Some people still swear to the Ridgely and Tudor: Songbirds volume and the non-passerines volume by Erize, Mata, Rumboll (in some order).

I will agree with that combination for Argentina, also adding the Narosky & Yzurieta field guide (a proper field guide) that even though some poor drawings, it has great identification keys and with the new acquisition of pictures it has improved a lot.

We are all waiting for the long promised Pearman book for Argentina, but I am quite sure that it will not be precisely a field guide more than a thick library book for consulting (but I have to admit that the plates from Aldo Chiappe I have seen are magnificent)

Best regards.

Julián.

The above post (#28) dates from 2015, but there is finally very good news for those who have not long found it in another thread (https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-of-argentina.209481/page-6).
Birds of ARGENTINA and the South-west Atlantic (essentially adding theFalklands/Malvinas) has come out both as a Helm and as a Princeton FG. They are identical in their contents. So simply get the one you find when needed. Publication year is 2020 (December), but the Princeton version has actually become available in late January 2021. And unlike karadya's fear, there is now a true FIELD GUIDE, not a handbook. It's a one volume compact book (despite having 480 pages). And it is superb! Rather than repeating it all, Here is the link (again) to what I wrote in the other thread: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-of-argentina.209481/page-6. Just go to post #119.

 

[Swissboy]

...............
Birds of ARGENTINA and the South-west Atlantic (essentially adding theFalklands/Malvinas) has come out both as a Helm and as a Princeton FG. They are identical in their contents. So simply get the one you find when needed. Publication year is 2020 (December), but the Princeton version has actually become available in late January 2021. And unlike karadya's fear, there is now a true FIELD GUIDE, not a handbook. It's a one volume compact book (despite having 480 pages). ...........................

Apparently, a second volume is still in the pipeline. But I think some of the topics planned for that book may have been dealt with in the various Lynx books that have come out over the years since those plans for a second volume were originally put down.

More of interest at this point, I think, is the fact that the FG should come out in a Spanish version as well. I just hope the projrct does not take another decade or more.

 

[Swissboy]

...........
Birds of ARGENTINA and the South-west Atlantic (essentially adding theFalklands/Malvinas) has come out both as a Helm and as a Princeton FG. .............And it is superb! .........

I just want to briefly add that we have since had a chance to use this book quite extensively, and it did not disappoint! The one exception are the seabirds that are not exactly a "strength" of the book. I had the Helm FG Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World by Derek Onley & Paul Scofield with me for the 3-week cruise, and it filled the gap nicely. So only the South Georgia specialties needed local verification. but they are no-problem species anyway.

 

[CaliSteve]

Second edition of Field Guide to the Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti is out now Field Guide to the Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti

 

[raymie]

Any thoughts on the best field guide for Costa Rica? Something similar to Sibley, and easy to carry in the field?

 

[Dan Miller]

Any thoughts on the best field guide for Costa Rica? Something similar to Sibley, and easy to carry in the field?

The second edition of Garrigues and Dean will be your best bet.

Amazon.com

Also available en español.