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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Swissboy" data-source="post: 1338744" data-attributes="member: 4926">The announced second FG by Tomas Sigrist is now available. This one comprises those parts of Brazil that did not get coverage in the first book. See my review for that one:<a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=86861&highlight=tomas+sigrist+birds+brazil" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=86861&highlight=tomas+sigrist+birds+brazil</a>Thus, it covers Amazonian Brazil, whereas the first volume covers Eastern Brazil.The new book is patterned along the same philosophy as the first part. Thus, it is showing the same basic set-up. It also is bilingual, and uses mainly symbols instead of text to keep it compact. There is some more information - also as symbols - regarding ecology of a species: Mainly whether a species follows army-ants, occurs in mixed-species flocks, and which part of a habitat it occupies. These additions are most welcome. The range maps have now all the same size, covering all of northern SA. Thus, some details undoubtedly get lost; but it allows to better use the book in several surrounding countries. I can't judge the overall accuracy, but I did find one mistake right away. The Hoatzin does occur in the eastern lowlands of Ecuador.There are now 204 plates, compared to 181 in the first volume. There are now up to 7 species per plate, wheras the first volume had up to 10. This results in often less crowded plates, a most welcome improvement. Most but not all illustrations have been reused from the first volume where a species occurs in both areas. Often, size and sometimes orientation have been changed to adjust species to the rest of the plate. Arrangements are sometimes different. Thus, Jacana, Sungrebe and Sunbittern are now with the shorebirds, whereas they were grouped with the rails for the first volume. There seem to be much fewer terns now, and the resting and flying pictures are now on the same plate. As I said in my short review of the first volume, the quality of the illustrations is quite variable. This holds for this second volume as well. Again, most plates were drawn by Tomas Sigrist, with a fair number (about one fifth) that were done by Eduardo P. Brettas. The text-and-symbol page is now much better used. It no longer has that almost "empty looking" appearance.The English index has been changed as well. Instead of strictly alphabetical, it now has systematic or name groups, like hawk, finch etc first, and then the alphabetical listing within that group. Thus the Zone-tailed Hawk is no longer at the end. Its position now is taken up by Yellowthroat - Masked. Scientific and Portuguese lists are still strictly alphabetical, however.Unlike the first volume, this second one has no separate Field Note Booklet to accompany it. In my opinion, that is just as well.Finally, the new volume comes with a somewhat sturdier cover. Looks like a compromise between softback and hard cover without adding too much weight and size.I think this new book is not only a most welcome addition to the field guides for South America. It is also very attractive both for its appearance and its compact size. Very well done indeed! :t:I got my copy from NHBS, but it can also be ordered directly from <a href="http://www.avisbrasilis.com.br/home.asp" target="_blank">http://www.avisbrasilis.com.br/home.asp</a></blockquote>

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