A Guide to the Birds of Panama: With Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras [Paperback]

Robert S. Ridgely (Author), John A. Gwynne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1992

This is the first paperback version of the second edition of the popular A Guide to the Birds of Panama. In the second edition, published in 1989, the authors expanded information on the birds of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras: approximately 200 new species were added to the material in the 1976 edition. Over 300 additional species, some of them Panamanian, were illustrated. Sixteen new plates were added, and three of the original plates were replaced by improved versions. Throughout the book changes were made to accommodate the explosion in knowledge of the birds of Panama and nearby areas and of neotropical birds in general. The basic sequence and systematics of the AOU 1983 Check-list were adopted. Also included in the revised edition was expanded and updated information on birdfinding in Panama, prepared with the assistance of two of Panama's best resident birders. The book also contains a special section outlining developments in Panama ornithology and conservation. "A sophisticated treatment of one of the world's richest avifaunas."--The Quarterly Review of Biology

Editorial Reviews

Review

A sophisticated treatment of one of the world's richest avifaunas. -- Quarterly Review of Biology

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 2 edition (June 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691025126
• ISBN-13: 978-0691025124
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Honduras
  • #8 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Costa Rica
  • #17 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Panama

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best available field guide to the birds of Panama, June 9, 2003

By 

V. Burgett "Tropical Bird Enthusiast" (Bellingham, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to the Birds of Panama: With Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras (Paperback)

Ridgely's guide is the best - and really the only - available field guide covering all the species of birds in the nation of Panama. While it is useful and serves most purposes, it has been over a decade since the second edition was released, and it is more than due for an overhaul and expansion. The most necessary would be the addition of range maps, that would make the book infinitely more useful in planning a trip. At the very least, there should be a single, detailed map of Panama, indicating the locations mentioned in the range descriptions! Also, it would be better to limit the scope of the book entirely to Panama, as Costa Rica and other areas to the north are covered by other guides, and the pertinent information for those areas in this book are scant, at best. Then, the isolated plates in the back need to be intergrated, as do the plates of Darien specialties, etc. Many species have been recently added to the Panama list, or split, etc, and those species need to be added. But, all this aside, this book should enable the identification of most Panama birds, and remains an indispensible resource for any birder traveling to that country.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Review of "Birds of Panama: with Costa Rica, Nicaragua,..., March 30, 2000

By A Customer

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This review is from: A Guide to the Birds of Panama: With Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras (Paperback)

This is a good, standard guidebook with beautiful bird plates. It is, however, somewhat awkward to have the plates divided into two groups at different places in the book. Three chapters ("Migration and Local Movements", Recent Developments...", and "Finding Birds in Panama") were especially interesting and helpful. The chapter "Finding Birds in Panama" was very accurate and useful to me. I wish I had purchased this guidebook before my earlier birding trips to Costa Rica. It is an important book for the entire region.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The only guide out there, February 16, 2005

By 

Cedric Kinschots (Brussels, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to the Birds of Panama: With Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras (Paperback)

I visit Panama at least once a year, and this book is the first thing I pack for every trip. There's simply no other field guide out there. Although the book is over due for a thorough update (of both taxonomy and range reports), it's still the best source for identifying birds in Panama. All the guides and researchers that I've met over the years use this book. One of the most useful parts is the section that describes the best birding spots in Panama, as most of these places have remained largely unchanged. The plates are very good, more than adequate.
The book's a bit on the heavy side though. I usually go out birding for an entire day (6 am to 6 pm) carrying water, food, a camera and heavy telephoto lens, a tripod and binoculars. Even so, I've always resisted cutting out the plates, and end up taking the whole thing with me into the jungle. If the publisher were to make available a separate smaller booklet with only the plates, I'd definitely buy it. My back would be very grateful indeed!
Conclusion: If you're planning a birdwatching trip to Panama, you NEED this book!