Raptors of Mexico and Central America (1 Viewer)

New book about raptors! :t:

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10988.html

Ordered a "like new - used" copy (presumably for pre-pub review?) at Amazon last week & it shipped last Friday. Have noted the title at Birdbooker for what seems like ages. Needless to say, I'm hopeful.

Gary H

Quick first impression: thorough, comprehensive & authoritative. Authors regard it as a field guide, but I suspect most birders will use it more often as a reference. Of course, diurnal raptors are a confusing lot & one could readily justify clearing space in the field bag for this work. But then there are the gulls, and the warblers, & the sparrows & ....

Gary H

Thanks for sharing your impressions.

gdhunter said:

..... Authors regard it as a field guide, but I suspect most birders will use it more often as a reference. .........
Gary H

Click to expand...

Definitely not a FG, way too large. If anything, I'd cut out the 32 plates from up front with their captions. That part would nicely complement any general FG to the area.

The allocation of space in this book is a bit towards "coffee-table" in the second and much more voluminous part. I would have preferred larger range maps. There would certainly have been a way to fit them in. I find they are great with regard to their contents, but as they are, some colors a bit hard to separate.

As a side remark: I'm glad falcons still count as raptors in the context of such a book. Far from clear after finding the falcons so far detached from the rest in modern systematics.