Costa Rica Birding Book ? (1 Viewer)

hello

I am planing to visit the Neotropics next your, either Costa Rica or Ecuador.

For Costa Rica I found this book:

http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=1430
A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF COSTA RICA
F. Gary Stiles; Alexander F. Skutch

this seems to be the standard work. do you know if the book is really as good as some say and if it is still valid after 15 years since its publication.

there is a new book coming next year:

http://www.acblack.com/Catalogue/de...id=2&mscssid=CVH1PTQVB4GB9K2V2EW3WMRRV2TN7XFA

but I do not wand to wait that long.

any other good books on Costa Rica Birdlife (or Mammals) ??

Markus

aguila said:

hello

I am planing to visit the Neotropics next your, either Costa Rica or Ecuador.

For Costa Rica I found this book:

http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=1430
A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF COSTA RICA
F. Gary Stiles; Alexander F. Skutch

this seems to be the standard work. do you know if the book is really as good as some say and if it is still valid after 15 years since its publication.

there is a new book coming next year:

http://www.acblack.com/Catalogue/de...id=2&mscssid=CVH1PTQVB4GB9K2V2EW3WMRRV2TN7XFA

but I do not wand to wait that long.

any other good books on Costa Rica Birdlife (or Mammals) ??

Markus

Click to expand...

I'm off to Costa Rica next month and have the Stiles/Skutch book. Most references I have found seem to consider it the 'bible' for birding in that country.

Steve

Stiles and Skutch is still the best field guide to the country. Ridgely and Gwynne's Panama guide (which includes Costa Rica) could also be useful.
A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico by Fiona Reid is the best mammal guide. There are a few site guides that may be of use by: Sekarak (Costa Rica only); Rodgers (plus Panama) and Wheatley and Brewer (Mexico and all of Central America). My website (link below) has a review of each of these books. There are also plenty of good websites.

Tom

Another vote in favor of the Stiles & Skutch guide. Also, the Panama guide could also be useful, as previously mentioned.
Those guides are pretty large, however. I posted a while ago on the solution I came up with before my trip. It worked pretty well for me. See:
http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=347649&postcount=21

If you're looking for a book with Mammals (and other things as well), this book could help:
Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica, by Carrol Henderson

For mammals, it wasn't bad, and it has a lot of birds also. But I wouldn't use it as your primary bird guide.

As you are from Europe, another book that you may want to consider is a North American field guide (if you are visiting during the northern winter). Although the Costa Rica guide is the best available, it is still a bit week in places and not too good for shorebirds and migrant passerines. When I travel in Costa Rica, I usually go for a copy of Stiles and Skutch and a copy of Sibley.

Tom