Richard Garrigues

Costa Rica.

Yes, I read all of it. I'm like that with some field guides. This one features somewhat larger illustrations than many. Our Costa Rican birding guide isn't taken with the color register (he blamed the printing process), but in many cases, I found it more accurate than the other guidebook I was using. The illustration of the keel-billed toucan, for example, was much more true to life.

The intention of this handbook is to omit information unneccesary for identification, and this it does, while bolding field marks and behavioral information that assists differentiation. I found it easy to use in the field.… (mehr)

Basics: 2007, 1st edition, softcover, 387 pages, 163 color plates; 820+ species; range map for each species

This is the smallest book of the three books to cover all the Costa Rican birds. The smaller size makes it a true field guide. Fortunately, its size does not sacrifice the necessary contents to identify all of the country's birds.

All 820+ species of birds, including migrants and vagrants, are illustrated quite well. The text describing the birds may seem to be a bit scant at first, but the authors do a good job at relaying the salient points necessary for identification. Nearly all of the short paragraph is dedicated to the description of the bird with very little given to vocalizations, if any for many of the birds. There is almost no mention of habitat or behavior; thus, making it a truly focused identification guide. For birders who may want additional natural history or behavioral information on the birds, the Birds of Costa Rica by Stiles/Skutch would make an excellent companion to this guide.

The range maps are 2 x 2cm and do a decent job at depicting the ranges of the birds despite the map's necessary small size.

Many of the species are illustrated with multiple drawings. This occurs where there is notable plumage variations between genders, ages, or subspecies. As for the artistry itself, I am pleased. I consider the artwork to be better than the Birds of Panama book by Ridgely/Gwynne and a tiny bit better than Stiles/Skutch. Key identification points are illustrated quite well. The only negative aspect to me is the sharpness -- or lack of -- with the colors. Most of the birds, especially the hummingbirds, seem to be faintly washed out; or, slightly "overexposed" if these were taken by a camera. I suspect this is an artifact of the printing and not the original art work.

This is a great book to take to Costa Rica. If you can manage to take the larger Stiles/Skutch book as well, you'll have everything you need for the country. If you take only one book and identification is your primary purpose, take this smaller book. I consider the illustrations to be a touch better than the Stiles book; and, there are a greater variety of plumages depicted. I have the same comments about the Birds of Panama Book by Ridgely. Although the Panama book covers all Costa Rican birds, the plates are not as good and the book is certainly bulkier. However, I must admit the text is superior, which is also true for Stiles.

Other Related Books:
1) A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by Stiles and Skutch
2) A Guide to the Birds of Panama by Ridgely and Gwynne
3) A Photographic Guide to Birds of Costa Rica by Fogden… (mehr)