Birds of the West Indies (Princeton Field Guides) [Paperback]

Herbert Raffaele (Author), James Wiley (Author), Orlando H. Garrido (Author), Allan Keith (Author), Janis I. Raffaele (Author), Tracy Pedersen (Illustrator), Kristin Williams (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Princeton Field Guides | Publication Date: September 2, 2003

Fully illustrated, easy to use, and completely up-to-date, Birds of the West Indies is the only field guide that covers all of the bird species known to occur in the region--including migrants and infrequently occurring forms. Each species is represented by a full description that includes identification field marks, status and range, habitat, and voice. A map showing the bird's distribution accompanies many species accounts, and plumages of all species are depicted in ninety-three beautifully rendered color plates.

Bird lovers, vacationing tourists, local residents, and "armchair travelers" will all want to own this definitive field guide to the birds of the West Indies.

• Includes all species recorded in the region
• Features ninety-three color plates with concise text on facing pages for quick reference and easy identification
• Species accounts cover identification, voice, status and habitat, and range
• Color distribution maps

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fascinating reading. . . . [This] finally eclipses . . . the old field guide . . . that in its various forms held sway for more than fifty years. . . . The illustrations . . . are exceptionally beautiful. . . . Indispensable. -- Stephen Mills, Times Literary Supplement



The current consensus is that the finest field guide to the exotic archipelagos of the Caribbean is Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele. Now that I've visited the region a few times, I can definitely agree! . . . The abundant illustrations are crisp, colorful, and mostly accurate while the text is succinct yet informative. -- Mike Bergin, 10,000 Birds



While paging through the new West Indian field guide . . . I lost track of several hours, completely captivated by the images before me. . . . [It includes] color plates of surpassing accuracy and . . . the text . . . is accurate and highly readable. -- Tropical Audubon Bulletin

About the Author

Herbert Raffaele is Chief of the Office of International Conservation of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. He is the author of "A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands" (Princeton).

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069111319X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691113197
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Ornithology
  • #39 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Birds & Birdwatching

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than Bond!, May 23, 2006

By 

J. C. M. Bannerman (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birds of the West Indies (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

I just came back from St. Vincent where I used a copy of James Bond's "Birds of the Caribbean". It was acceptable, but it didn't have many colour plates or pictures of birds in flight.

This book is all colour illustrations and has pictures of birds in flight. The information is also up to date.

Many more useful tools for bird identification than in Bond! For example, this has habitat and maps of range.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Field Guide, April 7, 2006

By 

Elizabeth A. Salt (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birds of the West Indies (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

This is an excellent field guide with great pictures of birds, making identification easier. The descriptions about the different bird species inhabiting the West Indies are also very good. The guide seems to give fuller coverage to birds in the northern Caribbean islands, such as Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, and somewhat less coverage to birds in the central and southern regions of the West Indian island chain, but it was still very helpful to me with bird identification on a recent trip to the island of Montserrat (about 300 miles southeast of Puerto Rico). Recommended for birders vacationing in the West Indies.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An up-to-date field-book for the Antilles, March 9, 2004

By 

"cuyaya" (Hispaniolan Ornithological Society, Dominican Republic) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birds of the West Indies (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

Though the previous A Guide To The Birds of The West Indies is unparalleled in its depth, this handy guide is what we were waiting for. It saves us the pains of lugging its bigger predecesor into swamps, jungles and fields, without sacrificing key information and wonderful drawings.