S America bird book reccomendation (1 Viewer)

Hatman

UK Bird guide

• Nov 4, 2009

• #1

I am going to Costa Rica, Panama city and southern Brazil and want to get the best field guides possible to help with ID'ing. I am thinking I would like to use seperate books so i can find bird quickly while I am birdwatching. so far I am looking at.....

Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Helm Field Guides) (Paperback)
by F.Gary Stiles (Author), et al.

A Guide to the Birds of Panama: With Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras
by Robert S. Ridgely (Author), John A. Gwynne (Author)


A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil (THIS IS NOT RELEASED YET)
by Ber van Perlo (Author)

Can someone please advise me before I spend all my money?

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Nov 4, 2009

• #2

Hatman said:

I am going to Costa Rica, Panama city and southern Brazil and want to get the best field guides possible to help with ID'ing. I am thinking I would like to use seperate books so i can find bird quickly while I am birdwatching. so far I am looking at.....

Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Helm Field Guides) (Paperback)
by F.Gary Stiles (Author), et al.

A Guide to the Birds of Panama: With Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras
by Robert S. Ridgely (Author), John A. Gwynne (Author)


A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil (THIS IS NOT RELEASED YET)
by Ber van Perlo (Author)

Can someone please advise me before I spend all my money?

Click to expand...

The Ber van Perlo guide to Brazil is actually out now and can be bought from NHBS (I got my copy yesterday). It's the best book for that area.

I'm not sure about the other (non-South American!) areas you mention though.

 

stephennj

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2009

• #3

I highly recommend "The Birds of Costa Rica " by Garrigues and Dean for Costa Rica. Very updated info , good plates and info .It is also small enough to tote around on hikes.

 

D

Dave B Smith

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2009

• #4

The Ridgely guide to the Birds of Panama I believe is still the best for that country.
The Costa Rica book by Stiles and Skutch is good but larger and somewhat dated. I haven't seen the book mentioned by Stephen but have also heard it is good.

I can confirm that the birds in both those countries are great!

 

Hatman

UK Bird guide

• Nov 4, 2009

• #5

Thanks guys - you have been a great help!

 

Birdingcraft

Well-known member

• Nov 5, 2009

• #6

stephennj said:

I highly recommend "The Birds of Costa Rica " by Garrigues and Dean for Costa Rica. Very updated info , good plates and info .It is also small enough to tote around on hikes.

Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree. It's small enough to make taking 3 books feasible. If you don't plan on birding the dry, northwestern areas of Costa Rica though, you will do fine with just bringing the Panama book (and the Brazilian one).

 

Chris D

Well-known member

• Nov 5, 2009

• #7

Even though it's not your destination - The Ecuador guide is often found quite cheap and is great to have around the house ---- in the collection.

 

ovenbird43

Well-known member

• Nov 6, 2009

• #8

I fully agree with the others on the Garrigues and Dean guide for Costa Rica. I have both guides but only used the Garrigues guide in the field, but I did sometimes use the Stiles guide in the evenings for more detailed habitat and behavior info. I feel that the paintings in Garrigues and Dean are much better than those in Stiles, and having the range maps on the same page was really helpful to me.

I actually just ordered the Ber van Perlo guide to Brazil- so I'll soon know more about it.

 

Tero

Retired

• Nov 6, 2009

• #9

Is it all one trip? Might not hurt to bring a book of Mexico and Central America. I forget the title, but a sort of generalist book. You will see see some wintering N American birds as well. They should be in any guide. I just like to circle them as familiar ones.
This is the one I have..not the best for any of that..but very slim volume, lots of pics crammed in plates
http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-B...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257533156&sr=1-3

 

Last edited: Nov 6, 2009

Tero

Retired

• Nov 6, 2009

• #10

Oh and this one I have looked at
http://www.amazon.com/Central-America-Princeton-Illustrated-Checklists/dp/0691120706/ref=pd_cp_b_1
even more tightly listed. If you have a guide, this may be all you need. Not sure of the Panama part. Probably.