United States
£ GBP
Birds of Central America is the first comprehensive field guide for the entire region’s avifauna, including the birds of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Handy and compact, the book presents text and illustrations for nearly 1,200 resident and migrant species, and information on all rare vagrants. 260 detailed plates on convenient facing-page spreads depict differing ages and sexes for each species, with a special focus on geographic variation. The guide also contains up-to-date range maps and concise notes on distribution, habitat, behavior, and voice. An introduction provides a brief overview on the landscape and climate of the region and its biogeography.
The culmination of more than a decade of research and field experience, Birds of Central America is an indispensable resource for all those interested in the bird life of this part of the world.
Andrew C. Vallely is a naturalist who has worked and traveled extensively in Central America. Dale Dyer is an ornithological illustratorwho has contributed to many books on birds, including Birds of Peru and All the Birds of North America. Vallely and Dyer are currentlyf ield associates in the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History.
"[...] The good old Howell and Webb is far from obsolete as an identification tool and natural history reference, but there are now [...] other good options. If you appreciate scientific accuracy, pick Vallely and Dyer. Besides being useful for identification, it also compiles current knowledge about distribution, with full references. Its format also makes it a fine choice for enjoying Dale Dyer’s art while planning future trips."
– Knut Eisermann, Birding 50(3)
"This well-organized and well-written field guide occupies a unique niche, in that it covers all of Central America south of Mexico. The consistently high-quality artwork gives this guide a leg up. The book rightly emphasizes the importance of vocalizations in the species accounts and the resulting descriptions are comprehensive and accurate."
– Kevin J. Zimmer, author of Birding in the American West and international tour leader for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
“With its valuable text and maps, plus clear plates, this is an excellent guide. Central America is an ornithologically complex region and it is wonderful to have all this information together for the first time. The authors are to be congratulated on undertaking such anambitious project.”
– Steve N. G. Howell, coauthor of Birds of Chile: A Photo Guide
