-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Field Guide for Peru (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Big Phil
- Start date
Rasmus Boegh
BF member
I would feel somewhat estranged by calling it the best - but it is the only covering the entire country (at least until the next is published - should be finished in one or perhaps two years). Unless highly experianced in Neotropical birds, you will often find it difficult to decipher many of the drawings and the text for each species is very brief (and voices are not described at all - only references to where you can find recordings!). Depending on the region you plan on visiting in Peru, a combination of guides is far better (in many cases you can just copy specific plates to bring along). For Pelagics, bring along a guide for pelagic birds, likewise for waders. For the high Andes (~above 2500 m. asl) the guide by Fjeldsaa & Krabbe - Birds of the High Andes - is unparalleled. However, this is a rather bulky and expensive guide, so you may prefer to have a look at a library and just copy a few of the plates relating to more difficult groups. For the Amazonian lowlands get "Birds of Ecuador" by Ridgley & Greenfield or "Birds of Colombia" by Hlity & Brown. The guide to Ecuador is good for northern Peru, too. For the Yungas in SE Peru, the best guide is a "Field Guide to the birds of Machu Picchu" by Barry Walker. SW Peru is well covered by Jaramillo's "Field Guide to the Birds of Chile". Otherwise we are looking at copies from a few plates of the usual "Birds of South America" by Ridgley and Tudor. Likewise, copies of a few plates from the most recent (vol. 8 & 9) "Handbook of the Birds of the World" will probably help, too. So, do get the Clements & Shany guide to Peru, but realize that the experiance will be problematic unless combined with other guides. I know above may seem "over the top" - but you are likely to only visit a relatively small part of Peru and as such only a few of the additions mentioned above are needed.
Good luck - Peru is World class birding.
Good luck - Peru is World class birding.
Last edited:
Big Phil
Well-known member
Hi Rasmus, thanks for the reply.
I'm going on a jaunt round the sights of southern Peru plus a couple of days in the Amazonian forest, not specifically for birds, but I do want to ID most of what I see. What do you think my best combination is, given that I want to travel as light as possible?
I'm going on a jaunt round the sights of southern Peru plus a couple of days in the Amazonian forest, not specifically for birds, but I do want to ID most of what I see. What do you think my best combination is, given that I want to travel as light as possible?
Rasmus Boegh
BF member
Three guides:
1) "A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru" by Clements & Shany. "Medium sized".
2) "Field Guide to the birds of Machu Picchu" by Barry Walker. Rather slim and small, but very good for Cusco and the nearby Machu Picchu region.
3) Either "Birds of Ecuador" by Ridgley & Greenfield or "Birds of Colombia" by Hilty & Brown - for the Amazonian lowlands. Both are rather large.
First two are - in my opinion - a must for you, while number three is optional. I have a preference for the guide to Ecuador, but this is purely due to personal reasons and the guide to Colombia is just as good. You may choose not to bring a third guide at all, as most species you are likely to see in the Amazon-region (parrots, Curassows, etc.) are rather easy to ID from the Clements & Shany guide. The problematic species are Woodcreepers, Antbirds and Flycatchers - species you generally only are likely to see if specifically looking and/or searching for them. If specifically searching for these birds, it would be recommendable to bring a few copies of plates from HBW vol. 8 & 9 aswell.
1) "A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru" by Clements & Shany. "Medium sized".
2) "Field Guide to the birds of Machu Picchu" by Barry Walker. Rather slim and small, but very good for Cusco and the nearby Machu Picchu region.
3) Either "Birds of Ecuador" by Ridgley & Greenfield or "Birds of Colombia" by Hilty & Brown - for the Amazonian lowlands. Both are rather large.
First two are - in my opinion - a must for you, while number three is optional. I have a preference for the guide to Ecuador, but this is purely due to personal reasons and the guide to Colombia is just as good. You may choose not to bring a third guide at all, as most species you are likely to see in the Amazon-region (parrots, Curassows, etc.) are rather easy to ID from the Clements & Shany guide. The problematic species are Woodcreepers, Antbirds and Flycatchers - species you generally only are likely to see if specifically looking and/or searching for them. If specifically searching for these birds, it would be recommendable to bring a few copies of plates from HBW vol. 8 & 9 aswell.
Last edited:
Rasmus Boegh said:
I can only second this opinion. The present Peru guide is a GREAT disappointment. But then, it's better than nothing. When I was there in 2000, I did have to get by with much less than what is available today. I did have copies of the plates by Tudor, at least, combined with the Colombia book, plus the small guide by de la Peña. That book is quite handy, but it was awful when it came to such groups like yellowfinches. The problem with the books for northern South-America is that you may find different looking subspecies in Peru.
Big Phil
Well-known member
Thanks. I think I'll probably go with the Peru and Machu Picchu guides, but appreciate what you say about the Equador / Colombia Guides.....I just don't fancy lugging one of them about!. As Rasmas guessed, I'm not going to be worrying too much about the cryptic stuff.....
Cheers, Phil.
Cheers, Phil.
Edward woodwood
Member
yeah, the Peru guide was a disappointment but with the excellent Colombia guide things aren't too bad...
there is a new guide in the pipeline by Tom Schulenberg that should be excellent
Tim
there is a new guide in the pipeline by Tom Schulenberg that should be excellent
Tim
Rasmus Boegh
BF member
Eagle said:
If you know any of the people "in the vicinity" of the new guide you can copy a few of the new plates (as a few people visiting Peru already have). Otherwise, from what I know, I doubt it will be out by August and I would say we - optimistically - are talking late 2005 (as I believe I indicate in my first post).
Edward woodwood
Member
yes!
I'm fairly sure Eagle!!!
Tim
I'm fairly sure Eagle!!!
Tim
Edward woodwood
Member
Hi eagle
I've seen em i'm trying to remember where!
might have been thru Duncan MacDonald at Wildsounds - try their website....
man, you will love it over in Peru. Are you gonna drop into Barry's Pub in Cusco? - it's a great place for a beer of an evening.
I put a report on the net of my escapades there - a google should find it; it might be useful but i doubt it knowing me. Also I have a very good mate who lived there a while so if you have any queries drop me a line and i'll do my best to help out.
Tim
I've seen em i'm trying to remember where!
might have been thru Duncan MacDonald at Wildsounds - try their website....
man, you will love it over in Peru. Are you gonna drop into Barry's Pub in Cusco? - it's a great place for a beer of an evening.
I put a report on the net of my escapades there - a google should find it; it might be useful but i doubt it knowing me. Also I have a very good mate who lived there a while so if you have any queries drop me a line and i'll do my best to help out.
Tim
Rasmus Boegh
BF member
Just checked - the following internet bookshops all have it listed - even though that obviously isn't a guarantee:
http://www.birdsongs.com/cgi-bin/Shop.exe/shopentrance
http://www.wildsounds.co.uk/
http://www.nhbs.com/
Best of luck. Peru is a pleasure to visit and has great culture, great parties (if you're into that), nice people and of course... great birds!
http://www.birdsongs.com/cgi-bin/Shop.exe/shopentrance
http://www.wildsounds.co.uk/
http://www.nhbs.com/
Best of luck. Peru is a pleasure to visit and has great culture, great parties (if you're into that), nice people and of course... great birds!
Big Phil
Well-known member
I just ordered the Machu Picchu guide from http://www.birdbooksdirect.com for £24.99 inc. post, if that helps, Eagle.
Phil
Phil
Eagle
Well-known member
Thanks I have just ordered it !!!Big Phil said:
Rasmus thanks for the sites I knew 1 so thats helpful.
Tim I will be getting in touch with you re Peru!!
I certainly intend to go to Barry's Pub...to sample the Beer of course.
We are in and out of Cusco a lot on route for different places ...so may see quite a bit of it!!(The Pub!!)
I'm off to see your report!!
Big Phil
Well-known member
Rasmus Boegh
BF member
Big Phil said:
Yes it is - a nice place. Easy to find, too - though obviously a bit pricy as everything else located near the main square of Cusco.
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
Big Phil said:
It's worth knowing that there is a web page on the Ibis website where there are corrections/updates for the Clements, Shany guide.
I hate lugging around loads of stuff so I think I'll be taking copies of plates and some photocopies of other guides agree with the comments on the guide though, real problems in Bolivia last year.
Presumably the MachuPichu guide is cheaper in Peru?
I'll be in Peru in August Eagle say may bump into you in the pub, I like to keep my birding trips well lubricated.
Cheers
Steve
Rasmus Boegh
BF member
Steve Babbs said:
Well, probably not as bookstores generally can expect to sell that book to tourists rather than locals (and most foreign birders already have their guides before actually getting to Peru). Birding among locals still hasn't become a major thing in Peru, though the future hopefully will change that. Furthermore, there are only a few places selling it, indeed I have only ever seen it one place in Lima and at a second bookstore in Cusco where a friend of mine bought the last copy they had supposedly.
Similar threads
