The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guide - Softcover

Ridgely, Robert S.; Greenfield, Paul J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801487218 ISBN 13: 9780801487217

Publisher: Comstock Publishing Associates, 2001

Synopsis

Many of us can only long to travel to exotic birding places in South America,... but Ridgely and Greenfield live the dream and generously share it with us through their exquisite writings and paintings.... In summary, this is a thorough and thoughtful production that not only provides useful and complete information, but does so in a user-friendly manner.... The decades-long wait for these volumes has been worth it!― Birders Journal

The Birds of Ecuador comprehensively treats the nearly 1600 species of birds that can be found in mainland Ecuador.

The authors describe Ecuador this way: "One of the wonders of the natural world. Nowhere else is such incredible avian diversity crammed into such a small country.... Birds are, happily, numerous in many parts of Ecuador: even the downtown parks of the big cities such as Quito and Guayaquil host their complement."

Volume I, Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy, contains:

•detailed information on the ecology, status, and distribution of all species••introductory chapters deal with geography, climate, and vegetation••bird migration in Ecuador••Ecuadorian ornithology••endemic bird areas in Ecuador••and conservation•

Individual species accounts treat habitat, distribution, and taxonomy.

Volume II, Field Guide, contains:

•96 full-color plates and facing pages of descriptive text••a color map of Ecuador••2 line drawings of bird anatomy••115 silhouette outlines••and nearly 1600 distribution maps•

All species are illustrated in full color, including migrants and vagrants and visually distinctive subspecies. The text focuses on the field identification aspects of each species, including their behavior, vocalizations, and nest appearance.

The two volumes are available separately or may be purchased as a slipcased set.

About this title

About the Author

Robert S. Ridgely is a world-renowned ornithologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences and the author of Birds of Panama and Birds of South America. Paul J. Greenfield has been studying and painting the birds while residing in Ecuador for 28 years. Frank B. Gill is Senior Vice President of Science for the National Audubon Society, former President of the American Ornithologists' Union, and the author of Ornithology.

From the Back Cover

"Eagerly awaited though it was, this work surpasses all expectations. On my own past trips into the phenomenal birdland of Ecuador I have longed for good information, and here it is in a double shot: a superb field guide and a thorough reference volume, both indispensable. Robert S. Ridgely and Paul J. Greenfield have done a brilliant job of making this complicated avifauna accessible and understandable for the rest of us. Ornithology, birding, and conservation all stand to benefit tremendously from this landmark work."--Kenn Kaufman, author of Focus Guide to the Birds of North America

"A monumental work that sets a new standard for South American bird guides, Birds of Ecuador fills a hug information vacuum. These volumes are a fitting tribute to the authors' passion and commitment to pass on their unparalleled knowledge of one of the world's richest avifaunas. Ecuador's nearly 1600 bird species are here made accessible in a user-friendly format. Birders, ornithologists, and conservationists alike will all benefit from this landmark publication."--Steve N. G. Howell, author of A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico

"Birds of Ecuador is a tremendous and unique resource, not just for people interested in Ecuador, but for anybody interested in the birds of the Andean and Amazonian countries of South America. With its beautiful and accurate plates, fine maps, and detailed habitat descriptions, Volume Two: A Field Guide is full of all that's needed to identify the splendid variety of birds in Ecuador."--Douglas Stotz, The Chicago Field Museum of Natural History

Edition details

• Publisher: Comstock Publishing Associates
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0801487218
• ISBN 13: 9780801487217
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 740