19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The long-awaited Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba, August 30, 2000
This review is from: Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba (Comstock books) (Paperback)
Garrido and Kirkconnell's new field guide to the Birds of Cuba fills a niche that has needed filling since Thomas Barbour's The Birds of Cuba, 1923 (not a field guide). This book, however, goes far beyond where Barbour left off. Although untested by most birders, this new work has the potential to be one of the leading birding field guides. If the species accounts, range maps and illustrations prove to be accurate, it will be. The geographical information will be a great aid not only in finding the birds, but also in selecting transportation and appropriate attire. The section, Bird Habitats, (page 10) gives brief but informative treatments on the eco-zones of Cuba mentioning some appropriate plants and the birds found in these habitats. The Endemic Species list (Appendix) gives us insight into a fascinating avifauna. The Endemic Subspecies list that follows could include English names for the sake of parallel structure. I have a feeling that "the splitters" will in the near future add to the species list. The beautiful illustrations by Roman F. Company are enhanced by tantalizing vignettes of the Cuban countryside.
As a student of Cuban natural history for over 35 years, this book whets my appetite for Cuba even more. My first trip to this enticing archipelago, known collectively as Cuba, lies ahead and it will be with my copy of Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba under my arm.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What is that bird again?, August 26, 2001
This review is from: Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba (Comstock books) (Paperback)
Excellent and very scientific guide. The descriptions are excellent and all the information extremely useful. It's obvious that the authors are experts in their field. I found the plates top notch and, I'm sure, they will allow quick identification of any bird we see. A couple of defects: The common Spanish name should be included in the plates. Imagine the guide telling you "That's a siju platanero" while the plate only calls it Cuban Pigmy owl!But that is minor compared to the lack of cross-reference from the plate to the text. The other guides I have state the page with the information about the sighted bird. Here you must go through the index or leaf your way to the correct text. Other than that I really enjoyed the book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Required field guide for Cuba showing all of its birds, July 7, 2008
This review is from: Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba (Comstock books) (Paperback)
Basics: 2000, softcover, 253 pages, 51 color plates, 354 species, range map for each bird
Truly the only complete field guide dedicated to Cuba, this book will be very helpful anywhere in the country. It covers all of Cuba's resident birds along with all the migrants that pass to and from the USA. Any birding trip to Cuba must include this book.
Although the artistic quality of the illustrations is a notch below the better US and European guides, it is certainly good enough to offer confident identification. Some of the birds have obvious quirks in the size/shape of the beaks and heads, specifically the flycatchers, warblers, and sparrows. The Clay-colored Sparrow has a bunting beak and the Giant Kingbird looks like Chewbacca from Star Wars. One note about the warblers is only the adult breeding plumages are shown, so keep this in mind if you visit during the winter. An eastern US guide might be handy.
An injustice was done to the Cuban Trogon and Cuban Tody with small illustrations. Their colors and their endemic status should warrant that they stand out more in this book -- which ought be be true of all its endemics. The tody is actually displayed (incorrectly) as smaller than the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
The descriptions are good, but don't go into great detail. You'll need to read in advance from other sources to properly distinguish Red-shouldered from Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds. If you hope to rely solely on the epaulet color, you might have some troubles with these birds. When reading through the text, I recall wishing I had included another Caribbean field guide with me during my trip not long after this book was published. A handy feature in the text was the inclusion of date ranges for the seasonal migrants that pass through.
The range maps are found within the species accounts and are notably larger than other field guides.
You could certainly use one of the Raffaele identification guides for Cuba, but this book has better information, helps to zero in on just the island's birds, and is quite adequate for any birding trip.
I've listed several related books below...
1) Birds of the West Indies by Bond
2)
Birds of the West Indies by Raffaele
3)
A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies by Raffaele
4)
Photographic Guide to Birds of the West Indies by Flieg
5) Las Aves de Cuba by Balboa
6) Las Aves de Cuba: Especies endemicas by Montana
7)
Aves De Cuba, Las Subespecies Endemicas by Montana
9) Cuban Ornithology by Barbour
10) Aves Acuaticas en los Humedales de Cuba by Magica/Acosta/Jimenez/Rodriquez
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