A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America - Softcover

Howell, Steve N.G.; Webb, Sophie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0198540124 ISBN 13: 9780198540120

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1995

Synopsis

When Steve Howell first visited Mexico in November of 1981, he arrived armed with a strong background of birding in Britain and the Western Palearctic, and an even stronger enthusiasm for the diverse and exotic birds of Northern Central America. But he also arrived without an adequate field guide. Indeed, to his surprise, he found that relatively little was known (and even less written) about the myriad of bird species that inhabit the region stretching from the U.S.-Mexican border to Nicaragua. And so, after eleven years of research in northern Central America, and with the essential collaboration of Sophie Webb--a biologist and one of the most talented ornithological illustrators working today--we now have the definitive guide to birds of this fascinating region. drop rest as varied as the Laysan Albatross, the Blue-footed Booby, the Collared Trogon, even the rare Guadalupe Storm-Petrel.
A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America is astonishingly comprehensive, covering the identification, status, and distribution of all 1,070 birds species known from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and western Nicaragua. No other book approaches the thoroughness of this unique field guide. Beautifully illustrated with seventy-one color plates and thirty-nine black and white drawings, the guide shows 750 species and includes many plumages never before depicted. Of special interest are illustrations of some of the most notoriously difficult groups to portray, such as raptors in flight, owls, and nightjars. In addition, superb, easy-to-read maps help the traveling birder locate particular--even rare--species, and the entries describing individual birds detail their appearance, voice, habitat, behavior (including nesting and eggs), and distribution. With the U.S. birder in mind, the guide also includes birds that can be seen north of the border, showing these American migrants on plates when they could be confused with similar Mexican species, thus enabling the birder to make quick and ready comparisons in the field. And, with readable and fascinating presentations of the natural history of Central American birds, this guide will be welcomed not only by seasoned birders, but by any traveler exploring the rain forests, coastlines, and deserts of Mexico and the Central American isthmus.
Sponsored by the distinguished Point Reyes Observatory in California, A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America is a wonderful addition to the library of birders, nature enthusiasts, and travelers alike. With its lavish illustrations, clear writing, and unprecedented range, it offers hours of compelling reading and pleasant browsing for anyone intrigued by the colorful diversity of birds and the wild, largely unspoiled world next door.

About this title

About the Author:

Steve N.G. Howell is a Research Associate of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory in Stinson Beach, California.
Sophie Webb has been drawing and studying birds most of her life. She is also a Research Associate at the Point Reyes Observatory.

Review:

`... a must for anyone with an interest in neotropical birds'
David Tomlinson, New Scientist, August 1995

`This guide is a major contribution to field ornithology and birding in Mexico and northern Central America. Most highly recommended.'
Wildlife Activist, No. 25, December 1995

`Few, however, who actually looked at this book would question its importance, as it radiates authority and excellence. One of its most prominent features is the sheer quantity of information not available from any of the region's comparable field guides ... maps are a highly commendable ...
the plates are very good; they are accurate in plumage details and postures, and species within a plate are to scale. Especially striking are the plates depicting cryptically plumaged species such as owls (plates 25 and 26), nightjars (plate 27) and sparrows (plates 63 and 64) ... wealth of
information presented and its excellence. Few guides are better value for money: produced on good quality paper with 71 colour plates, the softback edition costs only L25.00. It will quickly become the main guide to the region's birds.'
Adrian Long, The Ibis, 1996, Vol. 138

`impressive book ... As a guide to one of the ornithologically richest parts of the world, this book is unlikely to be superseded for a very long time.'
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Volume 115, No. 3, September 1995

`This is a first-class book by any standards and will clearly not be superseded in the foreseeable future.'
Bryan Sage, Country-Side, October-November 1995

`the book is well researched, produced, and published, a valuable addition to any birdwatcher's library ... a most invaluable resource'
Jack Siegel, Nature Canada, Autumn 1996

`...The result of this immense labor is not just a very fine field guide, but also a manual to the birds of Mexico and northern central America. This extraordinary achievement is not likely to be improved in the near future...This wonderful book treats about 1070 species...the maps in Howell
and Webb are excellent....mandatory reading not only for all birders but also for some professional ornithologists...superb, extremely well-prepared species accounts, its very clear range maps, and its magnificent plates, which are beautifully reproduced, all converge towards making this book an
exceptional volume'
Ornitologia Neotropical (1997) 8: 195-236

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0198540124
• ISBN 13: 9780198540120
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 1008