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compact Ecuador guides (1 Viewer)

gdhunter

gdhunter

Well-known member
Finding the Fieldbook of the Birds of Ecuador for sale in the USA seems to be practically impossible, though I am communicating with one Ecuador tour operator who may be able to send a copy during a forthcoming visit to the States. I've also had no success finding the Spanish-language Vol 2 (plates only) of the Ridgely/Greenfield guide.

For the latter one option is to order a second (used copy) of the English-language Vol 2, separating the plates from the text and binding them. If necessary I'll do so, but the Spanish-language Vol 2 seems like a much better solution.

If anyone can identify sources for the Fieldbook or the Spanish-language Vol 2 of Ridgely/Greenfield, I'd welcome that information. Thanks.

Gary Hunter
 
At one time, I did find the Fieldbook in Amazon I think. Make a search using the ISBN number if you cannot find it otherwise.

The Fieldbook has been discussed before, and my impression was that people felt less than favorable regarding the quality of the plates. Right now I do not seem to be able to find that thread.

Niels
 
I could never find the Fieldbook either. I had always planned on separating the plates out of my Ridgely, but after 3 trips I never did it because I found myself constantly referring to the text and the maps.

As far as the Spanish version goes, I seem to recall that The Audubon Shop in CT used to carry it. Of course, they appear to be in the process of getting a new website (theaudubonshop.com), but it may be worth a phone call.

I'll continue to look as well, but please keep me posted if you have any success.
 
njlarsen said:
NHBS has it as a book you can preorder, but with the caveat that they have had problems getting the book from Ecuador.
Click to expand...

Niels: I have communicated with NHBS and they are willing to accept credit card info for pre-order but are non-committal about likely shipping dates (assuming they get a supply) and even price. Fortunately I have several months before I really feel the need, and it will be only as a supplement to Ridgely/Greenfield.

I've glanced through Birds of Northern South America: An identification Guide (Volume 2, Plates and Maps). I'm familiar with only a small percentage of the birds depicted and I have no clue about the South American ranges, but I'm inclined to see it as a useful complement to Ridgely/Greenfield (for reference at "base camp"). Remarkably, it's slightly more compact (if one dares use that term), the maps are on the same pages (or facing pages) as the plates, and below each map is a coded entry with size, altitudinal range, abundance and BirdLife threat status.

Gary H
 
Gary,
I have the Birds of N SA (both volumes) and would consider bringing them both if I could fit it weight-wise. However, I doubt that would fit, I often am within a couple of lbs of the weight limit for my luggage when bringing a scope/tripod etc. (I am also hoping to fit in a visit to Ecuador/Galapagos in 2015)

Niels
 
njlarsen said:
Just out of curiosity, I looked around. NHBS has it as a book you can preorder, but with the caveat that they have had problems getting the book from Ecuador.
Click to expand...

I received a reply from Fundacion Jocotoco (the publisher of the Fieldbook, I believe). The response indicates that at least for now it's only available in Quito (for $30) at the Fundacion office (Lizardo Garcia Street E9-104 between Andres Xaura Street and José Tamayo) or at the bookstore LibriMundi (Juan León Mera Street N23-83 & Wilson, Quito-Ecuador).

Gary H
 
Keep looking on Ebay or Amazon or perhaps Halfbay, but they are out there. A great book. It compliments the Ridgley as that book is simply too large to carry in the field. It is for 'home' ---as a bible sort of speaking. jim
 
Or you can do what I did. Have one of the office/copy stores cut the plates out and and bind them together. That makes a decent field guide.
 
I have to share my “small world” story about Ecuador guide books that just happened…

While trying to find out about birding opportunities for an upcoming Ecuador general tourist trip, I went to a local birder social get together and asked if anyone had gone to Ecuador before. Steve, a very helpful birder had been there many times, and his brother Paul was actually a bird guide there. He had lots of good advice and at one point I asked him if he had ever torn apart the Ridgely and whether it worked out ok to rebind the plates.

Well, later he told me his brother was associated with the Milpe Bird Sanctuary and I looked him up – Paul Greenfield. Oops! I asked Steve not to mention I contemplated ripping his brothers’ book apart. 3:)
 
Jeff hopkins said:
Have one of the office/copy stores cut the plates out and and bind them together. That makes a decent field guide.
Click to expand...

Another option is to find the Spanish-language Aves del Ecuador: Guía de Campo volume 2 (plates-only, with Spanish, English & scientific names noted on facing pages). NHBS offers the complete 2-volume set (including the Spanish-language version of the text found in the English-language field guide volume): http://www.nhbs.com/aves_del_ecuador_2_volume_set_tefno_192304.html. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find anyone selling just the plates-only volume.

Gary H
 
njlarsen said:
The Fieldbook has been discussed before, and my impression was that people felt less than favorable regarding the quality of the plates.
Click to expand...

To my relatively untutored eye the illustrations serve reasonably well as a preliminary aid in the ID process. It is worth noting that Robert Ridgely (in his foreword to the fieldbook) calls it a "fine little book on Ecuador's birds" and compares it favorably to the precursor volume covering Colombia (the "artwork having improved substantially").

Gary H
 
Hi there,

There's many options to avoid that heavy weight of the English Version of Birds of Ecuador by Ridgely and Greenfield.

The 1st option have been mentioned in this thread, this is: cutting the plates and binding them. I've been done that due to I have the english version. It's important to pointed out that the spanish version (2006) have many mistakes especially in the translation to spanish (text and bird names).

There's a new field guide of Birds of Ecuador (pocket version) by Navarrete and MacMullan (2012-2013; Not sure about the date). http://www.amazon.com/Fieldbook-Birds-Ecuador-Miles-McMullan/dp/B00DY6AL6Ko

This is a small and not heavy field guide, but the artwork it's not helpful to identify several groups. It's fine to carried out. If you are subscribed to Neotropical Birding, in a Vol. from 2013, J. F. Freile published a comprehensive review of this new field guide.

The third option for Ecuador, but a good one for some other areas and countries in the neotropics it's a combination of 2 books: The field guide of birds of Peru by Schulenberg et al. but the revised and updated edition (2010), and the field guide of passerines of south america by Ridgely and Hilty (2009) named The Field Guide of Songbirds of South America, this last one could be some heavy, so I suggest to cut the plates and binding them apart. With this 2 books you're ready for a best birding in Ecuador. Noticed that some Chocoan endemics and Ecuadorian Endemics (like hummingbirds) would be missing in this combination. But at this time it's my combination in any birding trip to support the Ridgely and Greenfield (2001).

*Remember that the distribution maps could be a problem if you're not familiarized with the country regions, so the pocket field guide can be the final filter to eliminate any doubt presented by using the field guide of Peru.

Cheers,

Manuel
 
I thought I read somewhere that a new field guide is on its way (beyond the fieldbook). If that is true, any update?

Niels
 
Hi Niels,

Yes, you're right, but at this time the book it's not published, probably they authors and HELM are under the last previous stages. In nhbs it's a link with the apparently cover of this new book http://www.nhbs.com/birds_of_ecuador_tefno_182406.html with the endangered and ecuadorian endemic Esmeraldas Woodstar. This book it's a work between a well recognized ecuadorian ornithologist, nature writer and conservation enthusiast Juan Fernando Freile and Robin Restall (art work), all of us in Ecuador are waiting for this book.

*Publication date: December 2015. According with: http://www.bookdepository.com/Birds-Ecuador-Robin-Restall/9781408105337


Cheers,

Manuel
 
Last edited:
Clandestine Bird said:
Hi Niels,

Yes, you're right, but at this time the book it's not published, probably they authors and HELM are under the last previous stages. In nhbs it's a link with the apparently cover of this new book http://www.nhbs.com/birds_of_ecuador_tefno_182406.html with the endangered and ecuadorian endemic Esmeraldas Woodstar. This book it's a work between a well recognized ecuadorian ornithologist, nature writer and conservation enthusiast Juan Fernando Freile and Robin Restall (art work), all of us in Ecuador are waiting for this book.

*Publication date: December 2015. According with: http://www.bookdepository.com/Birds-Ecuador-Robin-Restall/9781408105337




Cheers,

Manuel
Click to expand...
Looks like a good one....have you seen any 'inside' shots of it yet to see how 'good it really is' ?
 
Looks like a good one....have you seen any 'inside' shots of it yet to see how 'good it really is' ?
Click to expand...

I would imagine that you could get a pretty good idea by looking at the Birds of N SA books: http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Norther...r=8-1&keywords=restall+birds+of+south+america. If plates are like that then it will be OK but not great. Text part may be great.

One reason I say that is that I have seen a couple of other Country guides (T&T and the ABC islands) that reused a lot of plates from that book.

Niels
 
Hi there,

Since 2009 and previously (I thought) the major awareness between the ornithological community had been related with the quality of the artwork in the Field Guide of Northern South America by Restall, it was a strongly criticized book. R. Restall, wrote in 2009 asking about comments and suggestions (critics) to this book. He (Restall) received several responses in the NEOORN group. It wasn't its entire fault (Restall's), the edition, revision of the Birds of Northern South America went through unpredictable problems.

At this time I had not seen any plate or photo of the new field guide of Ecuador. But, I'm really sure that a lot of people are working to support the process of the new field guide to make of it an asset for the Ecuadorian ornithology with all the necessary corrections, mainly in the plates.

We just have to wait. I'm sure that the new field guide of Birds of Ecuador it's not going to be similar than the birds of northern south america.


Cheers,

Manuel
 
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