Customer Reviews

Birds of Mexico and Central America:

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I went to Mexico for the first time and used this field guide on site. I was always having my field guide on me, which is not too cumbersome with this relatively small format. I used it a lot and was satisfied with it, however it has 2 little problems:
1) the maps are all at the end, so you're constantly like: "OK, plate 98, #3" [turn pages, turn pages, turn pages, turn pages...] "OK, 98! Oops, 98.3 was on the previous page"! You're better carefully studying what birds can be found in the area you're going first, and use these maps as less as possible on the field.
2) Very often, the text descriptions only apply to the breeding male plumage, and nothing is said on the female, young or nonbreeding (but don't worry, at least it is always illustrated).

A relatively good guide nonetheless that I absolutely didn't regret buying, especially at this price.

This book finds a practical way to compress the information about a vast variety of species into a practical travel format. Reading the locality map shadings for small endemic area can be challenging as the 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" maps often are displaying all of Mexico & Central America.

Logical grouping and extensive plates with all species having illustrations and associated locality map. Excellent choice if you need to carry a single book covering the entire region.

Beaucoup de recherches mais caractères trop petits et a mon avis trop d espace pour ces cartes
Avantage taille qui permet de l avoir avec soi en faisant de l observation

I was very disappointed in the bird book. It has drawings of the birds and not actual pictures. Very disappointing.

In the past I have had to take two or three books to Mexico to have the full range of needed information. Now it is all in this one book. The range maps may be a little small but manageable.

Having recently been in Oaxaca, and being struck by the variety of birds there, I decided that I must have a guide specific to that area. And, zounds, does this guide deliver. I unhesitatingly recommend this book.

The plus : All the species of the region are well illustrated on colour plates, in differents plumages. Main identification features, vocalizations and habitats. Distribution maps for all birds. Good binding and highly portable.
The minus: small problem because the informative notes are not always placed opposite the illustrations. Distribution maps are small.
Global: a must to have in the field and at home.
L. Gagnon, Montréal.