Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean (Princeton Field Guides) [Paperback]

Nigel Wheatley (Author), David Brewer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Princeton Field Guides | Publication Date: February 19, 2002

Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean is the sixth and latest in a series that will ultimately cover the whole world. Including many of the most alluring and rewarding birding destinations anywhere, this is the first one-volume guide to this vast region. It is the ideal port of call for steadfast birders and nature-minded wayfarers alike.

Around 430 species of birds have been recorded in the Caribbean, of which an amazing 159 are endemic. Central America has a species list of about 1,350, with some 340 endemics. This book treats over 215 individual sites in detail, covering every Central American country, Mexico, and all of the popular Caribbean islands. Detailed site accounts enable birders to maximize their chances of finding the special birds of each region, from the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal of Costa Rica's cloud forest to the threatened Imperial Parrot of Dominica. Endemic species for each site and region are listed separately, and the accounts include practical information on accommodation, transport, safety, and the timing of visits. Other interesting wildlife is also listed for each site, and numerous site maps and line drawings further enhance the text. The information presented is succinct, yet detailed enough for readers to work out their own itineraries with a minimum of time and effort.

Any binocular-equipped traveler considering a trip to the Caribbean, Central America, or Mexico will find this guide both practical and enticing while planning from home--and absolutely indispensable in the field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A must-buy book. . . . [The authors] sifted through a huge quantity of information scattered across many sources.
(Charles Duncan Birding )

Invaluable traveller¹s companion . . . [that] is concise and informative, but not without interest or humor.
(Condor )

Review

Wheatley's effort will stand with a select handful of such publications that not only provide useful information on where to go to see birds, but present brief sketches on the habitat and other ecological features of interest to any traveler with an interest in natural history.
(Peter Meisenheimer, Canadian Field Naturalist )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (February 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691095159
• ISBN-13: 978-0691095158
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good trip planning resource, June 10, 2003

By 

V. Burgett "Tropical Bird Enthusiast" (Bellingham, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

This book is one of a series by Nigel Wheatley (I think that this is the only one co-authored by David Brewer) which covers many of the world's birding hotspots. All make for good reading for the traveling birder, and are especially good during the very earliest phase of trip planning - ie, choosing a destination. Considering the scope of the book, it is understandably brief and shallow, which is its greatest shortcoming. I could envision the next edition doubling in girth, and still omitting a lot! The segment on Mexico is particularly skimpy - whole regions, rich with endemic birds, are left out - such as the Acapulco/Guerrero region. On the other hand, the Lesser Antilles are treated a bit more completely. But, this book (and the series) is really the first of its kind, and every serious or casual neotropical birder will benefit from reading it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a gem addition to a birder's library, April 18, 2007

By 

Brian Allen "neotropical birding" (Manistee, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

I've had this book for a few years and find myself often referring to it. I use it to look up specific birding locations mainly in Central America and Mexico but also browse it for fun reading about some of the Caribbean Islands.

For a 436 page book about a region as large and biologically diverse as Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean this is an excellent resource. As mentioned in the previous review the section on Mexico is limited (only 57 pages)but there are other good alternatives for an in-depth treatment of Mexican birding locations such as Steven Howell's excellent "A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico" or Roland Wauer's more literary "Birder's Mexico". Additionally there are books such as Aaron Seekerak's "Travel and Site Guide to Birds of Costa Rica with side trips to Panama and Nicaragua" that can fill in the gaps of Wheatley and Brewer's book but this book is worthwhile for covering the entire region and being very detailed and informative for each site.

As an example of the books treatment of sites I chose El Salvador, a place I thought was entirely deforested and not often mentioned by birders. The chapter on El Salvador is eight pages long and lists 6 major sites and shows the locations on a country map at the beginning of the chapter. There are two pages of text describing the country, the transportation issues, accommodations, food, health and safety, climate and trip timing, conservation, bird families, bird species, and trip expectations. The site accounts follow and contain a brief description of the area, specialty birds found there (difficult to locate in other areas) endemics, and others (widespread species that are found at the site), and a paragraph on directions and access. One of the six sites (Cerro )Verde had a detailed area map. Apparently if you ever find yourself in El Salvador you can go birding.

Throughout the book, sites that refer to specific neighborhoods, roadsides, forests etc. will often be accompanied by a small detail map. A country road map would still be a necessary accompaniement to this book.

I highly recommend this book if you would like a resource to consider when trying to make a decision about a region or country to visit and then once you have decided, use this book and any other more country specific book for your trip. This book was written in 2000 so always check the internet for updated information about each country before traveling.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for what it is, July 16, 2008

By 

John Crawford - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean (Princeton Field Guides) (Paperback)

I think this was a very ambitious project. There are just too many habitats in Mexico, let alone Central America, let alone the Caribbean to cover them thoroughly. However this book manages to give a basic run down of what one will expect in certain places. This is very helpful for some of the lesser known islands in the West Indies which I believe do not have guides.