Birds of Costa Rica (Helm Field Guides)

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I did note that the guides who accompany you on various jungle walks all had well thumbed copies of this book so must be the best one out there! Fifty-six of these species are placed in a "Rarities" section that includes accidentals, rarer pelagics, and species that have not been reported in more than twenty years.

At the biological crossroads of the Americas, Costa Rica hosts an astonishing array of plants and animals-over half a million species! This is exactly the focus of The Birds of Costa Rica ―to assist with identification in the field―and the book succeeds admirably. Because of its beauty, tropical climate, and tremendous biodiversity, Costa Rica is a popular locale for birding.There are generally about 6 species descriptions to a page placed opposite illustrations showing, more often than not, male and female where sufficiently distinct. In addition to the primary species depictions, the authors include a number of comparison illustrations featuring possible misidentifications (e. This is exactly the focus of The Birds of Costa Rica—to assist with identification in the field—and the book succeeds admirably. Please note that audiobooks and ebooks purchased from this site must be accessed on the Princeton University Press app.

Wish I had bought this before I took the trip to Costa Rica, rather than the much-inferior one i unwisely bought. The discussion of taxonomic uncertainty and the reasoning behind species labels is forthright and provides readers with a candid understanding of how decisions were made. Additionally, the pictorial table of contents of the major bird families on the inner cover and first few pages of the book is a clever addition that facilitates quickly finding species in the field. Costa Rica has benefitted from a number of species splits in recent years, and potentially there are many more to come. Illustrated with clear colour photography and brief but authoritative descriptions the Pocket Photo Guides highlight the species of birds and animals from each region that the traveller is most likely to see, as well as those that are genuinely endemic (only to be seen in that country or region) or special rarities.

He has led birdwatching tours to South and Central America for many years, photographing and documenting the species he encounters. Range maps and nomenclature have been updated for this edition, which also has a new user-friendly organizational scheme and an alphabetical quick-find index of groups on the inside back cover.

To the left of most accounts is a thumbnail map of Costa Rica showing the species' range within the country. The shimmering quetzals, gaudy macaws, and comical toucans that populate tourism posters only begin to hint at the impressive avian diversity to be found throughout this small country. For the nature lover fortunate enough to vacation in Costa Rica—and for all lovers of beautiful birds—comes this up-to-date, comprehensive field guide to the native and migrant birds to be found in that country.The field guide I have used on my two last visits to Costa Rica has been the excellent work by Garrigues and Dean. These include recent additions to the country list, pelagic species, Cocos Island species, and all accidentals recorded from the Costa Rican mainland.