Hello folks. I’m beginning to plan a trip to Yucatán next January and, having browsed this site, I ordered a second-hand copy of Howell/Webb. Someone did say somewhere that it’s a big book to lug around. Well, the book arrived today and I fear it’s much more ‘reference only’ than field guide. Do any of you have a suggestion for a portable field guide to the region? Thank in anticipation. Michael.
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Field guide for Yucatán? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Micealh
- Start date
Combine this book with Merlin and you're covered well for the Yucatan
press.princeton.edu
Birds of Mexico and Central America
My advice (which does relate to Yucatán and to S Mexico in general) is posted here >> Any bird guide for Mexico?
The comment there that lies below mine is a sensible one too - especially as you've already bought H&W.
The comment there that lies below mine is a sensible one too - especially as you've already bought H&W.
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James Lowther
Well-known member
Either of the Belize field guides will do the job up to a point, there’s a few Yucatan endemics and specialities missing but you can research those separately.
There’s a recent thread on here covering this exact topic
Cheers
James
There’s a recent thread on here covering this exact topic
Cheers
James
James Lowther
Well-known member
Another recent thread detailing the minor shortcomings of the Belize guides in terms of missing species
www.birdforum.net
Best bird guides by region...Central and South America
The second edition of Garrigues and Dean will be your best bet. https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Costa-Rica-Tropical-Publications/dp/0801479886/ Also available en español. How up-to-date is it?
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pbjosh
missing the neotropics
Combine this book with Merlin and you're covered well for the Yucatan
Birds of Mexico and Central America
I mean no offense but that book is one of the two worst field guides I’ve ever used. I would take literally any other book for MX or Belize or Cen America.
Also as others have mentioned there are more threads on this.
I used Merlin almost exclusively
(which is incidentally the first time I have ever used an app based guide as a total replacement)
pbjosh
missing the neotropics
I used Merlin almost exclusively
(which is incidentally the first time I have ever used an app based guide as a total replacement)
I mostly just use Merlin and no guide any more in the field in the neotropics with the guide in the car or hotel. But I have spent a lot of time there and mostly just need audio and to check details on things like tyrannulets and foliage gleaners any more. I used to lament the lack of a good BR guide tremendously. At this point it doesn’t matter any more lol.
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I do directly address that charge in the link, given above, to my comment in another thread:
Post in thread 'Any bird guide for Mexico?' Any bird guide for Mexico?
(Out of interest, what's your co-favorite second-worst field guide ever?! Oh, his Brazil guide maybe - and I'd defend that in exactly the same way 😉.)
pbjosh
missing the neotropics
The other worst is the old Narosky & Yzurieta Argentina guide. Van Perlo Brazil is up there though
Terrible indeed, in many ways. But in fact, in practice, I found it far more usable (and correct) in many details than I had expected to, given the awful-looking artwork - and of course it was all that there was until recently. My vote for one that was possibly worse, and certainly more frustrating to use, was the Williams and Arlott East Africa thing, when it too was the only option 👎🏼
pbjosh
missing the neotropics
Agreed that once you already know the birds it’s sort of technically accurate and useful. But man is it awful for people who don’t already know S American groups / genus at least.
I agree that it is a terrible book. But I'm still surprised how well I got along with it on my first trip in 2005/06. I also had the van Perlo book, but that was so much less helpful. Sure, I already had some experience with species from further north. But I think it was the relatively accurate range maps and, most of all, the text then managed to highlight the critical features rather well.
temmie
Well-known member
I took the Van Perlo guide to Brazil recently. I never opened it, always checking the Merlin app in the (few) cases when it was necessary.
At the other hand, I probably wouldn't have opened any better guide, and all in all, I don't think the Van Perlo Brazil guide is all that bad. I find it surprisingly useful. That's not to say I wouldn't like more elaborate drawings, but they get the job done.
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The van Perlo guide to Brazil is definitely better than the Souza guide, so I suppose it's the best bird guide to the whole of Brazil. I would use Merlin in preference to both, or the regional Brazilian guides where relevant.
I was wondering was there one in the offing- any idea on a time frame for release?
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