United States
£ GBP
Raptors are among the most challenging birds to identify in the field due to their bewildering variability of plumage, flight silhouettes, and behavior. Raptors of Mexico and Central America is the first illustrated guide to the region's 69 species of raptors, including vagrants. It features 32 stunning colour plates and 213 colour photos, and a distribution map for each regularly occurring species. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, age-related plumages, status and distribution, subspecies, molt, habitats, behaviors, potential confusion species, and more.
Raptors of Mexico and Central America is the essential field guide to this difficult bird group and the ideal travel companion for anyone visiting this region of the world.
List of Plates 7
Foreword 8
Acknowledgments 10
INTRODUCTION 11
How to Use This Guide 16
Raptor Glossary 17
PLATES 24
SPECIES ACCOUNTS 88
NEW WORLD VULTURES: Cathartiformes
Black Vulture 88
Turkey Vulture 91
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture 94
California Condor 97
King Vulture 99
OSPREY: Pandioninae
Osprey 102
FAMILY: Accipitridae
Gray-headed Kite 106
Hook-billed Kite 109
Swallow-tailed Kite 112
Pearl Kite 115
White-tailed Kite 117
Snail Kite 121
Slender-billed Kite 126
Double-toothed Kite 128
Mississippi Kite 130
Plumbeous Kite 133
Bald Eagle 135
Black-collared Hawk 138
Northern Harrier 140
Long-winged Harrier 144
Gray-bellied Hawk 146
Tiny Hawk 148
Sharp-shinned Hawk 150
White-breasted Hawk 154
Cooper's Hawk 156
Bicolored Hawk 159
Northern Goshawk 162
Crane Hawk 165
Plumbeous Hawk 167
Savannah Hawk 169
Common Black Hawk 172
Great Black Hawk 176
Solitary Eagle 180
Barred Hawk 183
Roadside Hawk 186
Harris's Hawk 190
White-tailed Hawk 193
White Hawk 197
Semiplumbeous Hawk 199
Gray Hawk 201
Gray-lined Hawk 204
Red-shouldered Hawk 207
Broad-winged Hawk 211
Short-tailed Hawk 214
Swainson's Hawk 218
Zone-tailed Hawk 222
Red-tailed Hawk 225
Harlan's Hawk 231
Ferruginous Hawk 234
Rough-legged Hawk 237
Crested Eagle 240
Harpy Eagle 242
Golden Eagle 245
Black Hawk-Eagle 248
Ornate Hawk-Eagle 250
Black and White Eagle 253
FALCONIDS: Falconidae
Laughing Falcon 257
Barred Forest-Falcon 259
Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon 262
Collared Forest-Falcon 264
Red-throated Caracara 267
Crested Caracara 269
Yellow-headed Caracara 273
American Kestrel 276
Merlin 280
Aplomado Falcon 284
Bat Falcon 288
Orange-breasted Falcon 291
Peregrine Falcon 294
Prairie Falcon 298
References 301
Index 303
William S. Clark is a raptor photographer, tour guide, and lecturer, and one of the world's leading authorities on raptors. His books include A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors and A Field Guide to the Raptors of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
N. John Schmitt is an acclaimed bird artist who specializes in birds of prey. He is the illustrator of A Field Guide to the Raptors of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa and illustrated the diurnal raptors in Birds of Peru.
"Bird identification books are utilitarian. No matter the skill with paint brush or camera or keyboard, they are utilities. Raptors of Mexico and Central America is that and more. From Princeton University Press, this book gives you all of the utility plus over 200 pages of life histories and in many cases stunning photographs."
– Jim Williams, Minneapolis Star Tribune's Wingnut blog
"Accurate, comprehensive, and authoritative."
– Sergio Seipke, Raptours
