These widely anticipated volumes comprehensively treat the nearly 1600 species of birds that can be found in mainland Ecuador. Volume 2: Field Guide contains 96 full-colour plates and facing pages of descriptive text, a colour map of Ecuador, 2 line drawings of bird anatomy, 115 silhouette outlines and nearly 1600 distribution maps. All species are illustrated in full colour, including migrants and vagrants and visually distinctive subspecies. The text focuses on the field indentification aspects of each species, including their behaviour, vocalisations and nest appearance.
"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