Birds of Northern South America Set: 2 Volume Set [Paperback]

I got this set for a review in a Dutch birding journal and I can warmly recommend both volumes (Plates & Maps; Species Accounts) to anyone birding in northern South America. Here is an excerpt of my review.

Central and South America (the Neotropics) constitute the most species-rich bird region on Earth. The northernmost part of South America (Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas) can be regarded as the core area of the Neotropics and has a stunning 2300 species. Good field guides exist for most of the separate countries in northern South America but now we have a new field guide for the whole area, including the islands near Venezuela (Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire).
This area offers an excellent cross-section of Neotropical habitats, and many birders who first visit, say, Venezuela will probably, sooner or later, also want to visit Ecuador or vice versa. Having more species in a field guide than you need for a single country may appear rather bulky, but this is only a minor disadvantage compared to the benefits of its broader scope concerning distribution and related species, and the possibility of using the same field guide in another country. Moreover, it is worth adding that the distribution maps extend well into Brazil (down to the Amazon river), so this field guide will be of use in northern Brazil as well, although no additional Brazilian species or subspecies have been added.

Restall depicts far more subspecies and plumages than all the other field guides of northern South America combined, and this is a magnificent achievement. The Plates and Maps volume of this new guide has around 6400 bird illustrations!
It cannot be emphasised too strongly how important a good knowledge of subspecies is for birders - particularly in the Neotropics where so many species may be split in the future. This new field guide is of enormous value for this reason, and it may also encourage scientists and birders alike to discover new subspecies.

Restall's Plates and Maps volume at 1.4 kg and 3.4 cm thickness has the merit of being more compact than the existing field guides of Ecuador and Venezuela - particularly given the far greater number of species and subspecies covered. Another significant advantage for the user of this volume is that Restall has helpfully chosen to put all the identification information on the plates themselves. Unlike many other field guides, therefore, the plates include the distribution maps (with an approximate location of subspecies too), plus codes for altitudinal range, status, and abundance, and often a few additional diagnostic remarks, mostly about habitat or habits. Sound descriptions are lacking in the Plates and Maps volume alas, but do occur extensively in the other volume.

All in all, I think that for birders visiting any of the countries in northern South America, this new field guide is the best option.

Gorgeous, lifelike, accurate paintings that leap off the page - almost every plumage of almost every species across the northern third of the continent depicted in full living color. Beautifully written, informative species descriptions - ALL in English. Restall and his compadres have produced THE masterwork for the birds of Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana, as well as (to a somewhat lesser extent) Northern Peru and the northern half of Brazil's Amazon Basin.
I have found Volume 2 to be HIGHLY useful in my birding of the area, all of which has taken place in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima, while Volume 1 collects dust on my bookshelf in Texas. Why? Having to maintain the book's usefulness in the face of huge numbers of plates, detailed descriptions, and extensive maps, Restall and Co. took and SPLIT the book asunder, keeping the species descriptions in Volume 1, while placing the maps and plates together in Volume 2. With Volume 1 weighing in at just under 5 pounds, and airlines continually putting ever more weight restrictions into place, I only travel with Volume 2.
And what a volume it is! Comparable in size to Sibley's Guide to Birds, it requires a backpack to haul around, but I found that field observations and photographs followed by referencing these later in the evening worked best. In two summers of Amazonian birding, my complaints are almost nil, dealing mainly with the maps' lack of accuracy in Brazil. The paintings are reminiscent in quality of those found in Peterson and Chalif's A Field Guide to the Mexican Birds, and like Peterson, Restall makes ample use of pointers and liner notes to highlight important field marks.
Divorced from its colorful "better half", I must admit to having read Volume 1 once through, and that has been it. I do remember it being very well written and full of information about each bird. The two can be purchased separately, and that may be something to consider.

never take it to the field with me of course, but is the érfect complement to the Volume of IDENTIFICATION GUIDE... full of text, sometimes not superbly updated (specially for Colombia) but worth the money!...get it.

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