Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean, Illustrated by Robert Dean
Whenever we find a new field guide to tropical birds, I like to run them by a tropical birding expert, and finicky field guide buyer John Arvin, formerly of Field Guides, Inc. This book definitely passed the Arvin test, and I’m not surprised! Although it is probably half the bulk of the first Birds of Costa Rica (Stiles and Skutch), it feels just as visually complete. This book was actually inspired by the sight of so many birders in the field carrying the plates they’d torn out and re-bound from Stiles and Skutch! The birds are meticulously illustrated, so it will definitely become the must have book for Costa Rica. I only wish that they had included the Spanish names of the birds SOMEWHERE in the book.
From the publisher: "The appearance of this new, compact guide to the birds of Costa Rica should spur even more international birders to come to this avian paradise. I congratulate author and artist on a job well done."
—Robert S. Ridgely, World Land Trust, author of Birds of Ecuador, Birds of Panama, and Birds of South America
“This book is a must for birders visiting Costa Rica. It is compact, easy to carry in the field, and filled with useful information. I highly recommend it.”—Victor Emanuel
This is the one field guide the novice or experienced birder needs to identify birds in the field in the diverse habitats found in Costa Rica. It features descriptions and illustrations of more than 820 resident and neotropical migrant species found in Costa Rica, all in a compact, portable, user-friendly design. The detailed full-color illustrations show identifying features—including plumage differences among males, females, and juveniles—and views of birds in flight wherever pertinent. Additional features of this all-new guide include:
• 166 original color plates depicting more than 820 species.
• Concise text that describes key field marks for positive identification, as well as habitat, behavior, and vocalizations.
• Range maps and texts arranged on opposing pages from illustrations for quick, easy reference.
• The most up-to-date bird list for Costa Rica.
• A visual guide to the anatomical features of birds with accompanying explanatory text.
• Quick reference to vultures and raptors in flight.
About the author: Richard Garrigues is one of the preeminent birding guides in Costa Rica, with more than twenty years' experience leading birding and natural history tours. Robert Dean is an avid birder and natural history illustrator. Both live in Costa Rica.
Paperback, 416 pages, 5 x 7 ¾, full-color illustrations, maps, April 2007
Available in the same series, Mammals of Costa Rica and Tropical Plants of Costa Rica (soon!).
