What is the best field guide for Brazil (1 Viewer)

I might be going to the Manaus area sometime soon; could anyone tell me what's the best field guide for the amazon basin?

Thanks

It depends on exactly where. There are many birding localities near Manaus and there's a vast difference between the different ones. The species found at localities to the north of Manaus and thereby to the north of the Amazon (e.g. Presidente Figueiredo and the INPA tower) are virtually all covered in the Hilty's highly recommendable Birds of Venezuela. Localities to the south of the Amazon (e.g. Borba) and the river island habitats near Manaus are not well covered in any single fieldguide and you have to resort to a combination of the guide to Venezuela (for the many widespread Amazonian species that also occur to the S. of the Amazon) and Ridgely's 2-volume Birds of South America (for local specialities and species restricted to the S. of the Amazon). In addition to this copies of specific plates from HBW vol. 8 & 9 have proven helpful to me on recent trips to SA. Finally, while the quality is questionable, I would still recommend bringing Souza's All the Birds of Brazil if you can locate a copy. The quality is rather poor, but it's small and handy and does have the advantage that it covers all species in Brazil. Don't expect to be able to identify most Woodcreeper and Tyrants from that book, though! At least two guidebooks are currently being prepared for Brazil, but they are at very least a year from being published.

Several species found in the region are not covered on any published CD/tape, but the various ARA tapes (especially Voices of the Woodcreepers), Isler & Whitney's three Antbird CD's and the CD-ROM Birds of Venezuela will take you a long way. Good luck!