The Birds of Ecuador: v.1: Status, Distribution and Taxonomy (The Birds of Ecuador: Status, Distribution and Taxonomy)

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

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

"The Field Guide volume, 'intended primarily for field use,' contains plates, distribution maps, and text geared toward the identification of all the birds of Ecuador (excluding the Galapagos Islands). Its companion, Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy, suggested 'for your library (or hotel room or even car),' covers the occurrence and systematics of these same species. Undoubtedly, the field guide will be the volume most often consulted; an excellent aid for field identification of Ecuadorian birds, it will also be useful in much of Colombia, northern Peru, and western Brazil. Illustrations make or break a field guide. The 96 color plates, all by Greenfield, are vibrant, clear, and very effective. They depict nearly the entire avifauna, including migrants and species known in Ecuador only from a single record. They also show many rarely illustrated plumages (such as in the highly polymorphic hawks and eagles). . . . The Field Guide will be indispensable to all field biologists and birdwatchers visiting Ecuador and northwestern South America."―Thomas S. Schulenberg, Science, September 14, 2001

"What Ridgely and Greenfield have produced is arguably the most important publication on birds in the region since the appearance of Wetmore's. . . treatise on the birds of Panama a half-century ago. . . The accounts are compacted but chock-full of information, covering status, habitat, field marks, similar species, habits, and voice. Despited the fact that this is a supurb field guide, . . . it is the companion volume that elevates these books to a rarified standing. This book consists of accounts for all the species in the field guide. . . The second volume makes this set more than just a field guide and handbook. It makes it perhaps the single most important reference for students, professionals, and bird watchers interested in the birds of South America, one that will be a first source for decades."―Eirik A.T. Blom, Bird Watcher's Digest, November/December 2001

"This long awaited, monumental two volume set reveals the ornithological secrets and diversity of this small Latin American nation. . . The two amassed so much information, they could not fit it inone book. . . The Birds of Ecuador is an incredible achievement and is most highly recommended."―Dan R. Kunkle, Wildlife Activist, No. 43, Autumn 2001

"The long awaited Birds of Ecuador is finally out and the results are well worth the wait. The 2-volume set is a massive piece of work and the authors intended the 2-volume set to be used by both traveling birders and ornithologists. . . .Both volumes complement each other perfectly and are well worth the price. These volumes add tremendously to the available informaton of South American avifauna."―Oscar Carmona. Surfbirds Book Reviews, October 2001

"The Birds of Ecuador is a monumental guide to the birds of this country and does a remarkable job of describing them all. . . . Volume 1 of Birds of Ecuador could stand alone as a resource; however, it is completed (and made much more useful) by the accompanying volume 2 with its illustrations, descriptions, and range maps. The two volumes of this title will remain the stand for this country and for other South American bird guides for a long time. It is highly recommended for any research library."―Alex Boss, University of Illinois at Chicago Library. E-Streams, Vol. 6, No. 1, January 2003

"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!"―Geoff Carpentier, Birders Journal, Vol. 10, No. 6, December 2001/January 2002

"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 huge 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. Those who have not survived such a project cannot imagine the magnitude of this undertaking ―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 detailed distributional records and some of the first critical appraisals of the birds' subspecies and ecology, Volume One: Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy is for when you have time to really think about the birds. You won't have to lug this volume to the field with you, but you'll still have a convenient resource with which to find out more about the birds."―Douglas Stotz, The Chicago Field Museum of Natural History