A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America

by Steve N.G. Howell, Sophie Webb

When Steve Howell first visited Mexico in November of 1981, he arrived armed with a strong background of birding in Britain and the Western Palearctic, and an even stronger enthusiasm for the diverse and exotic birds of Northern Central America. But he also arrived without an adequate field guide. Indeed, to his surprise, he found that relatively little was known (and even less written) about the myriad of bird species that inhabit the region stretching from the U.S.-Mexican border to Nicaragua. And so, after eleven years of research in northern Central America, and with the essential collaboration of Sophie Webb--a biologist and one of the most talented ornithological illustrators working today--we now have the definitive guide to birds of this fascinating region. drop rest as varied as the Laysan Albatross, the Blue-footed Booby, the Collared Trogon, even the rare Guadalupe Storm-Petrel.
A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America is astonishingly comprehensive, covering the identification, status, and distribution of all 1,070 birds species known from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and western Nicaragua. No other book approaches the thoroughness of this unique field guide. Beautifully illustrated with seventy-one color plates and thirty-nine black and white drawings, the guide shows 750 species and includes many plumages never before depicted. Of special interest are illustrations of some of the most notoriously difficult groups to portray, such as raptors in flight, owls, and nightjars. In addition, superb, easy-to-read maps help the traveling birder locate particular--even rare--species, and the entries describing individual birds detail their appearance, voice, habitat, behavior (including nesting and eggs), and distribution. With the U.S. birder in mind, the guide also includes birds that can be seen north of the border,
showing these American migrants on plates when they could be confused with similar Mexican species, thus enabling the birder to make quick and ready comparisons in the field. And, with readable and fascinating presentations of the natural history of Central American birds, this guide will be welcomed not only by seasoned birders, but by any traveler exploring the rain forests, coastlines, and deserts of Mexico and the Central American isthmus.
Sponsored by the distinguished Point Reyes Observatory in California, A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America is a wonderful addition to the library of birders, nature enthusiasts, and travelers alike. With its lavish illustrations, clear writing, and unprecedented range, it offers hours of compelling reading and pleasant browsing for anyone intrigued by the colorful diversity of birds and the wild, largely unspoiled world next door.

Genres: Birds, Reference, Nature, Field Guides, Nonfiction, Science

1008 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jan-Joost Bouwman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first used this (large) fieldguide on our first trip to Mexico in the 90s. We were blown away with its detailed descriptions and accurate plates. Compared to the then other available fieldguides it was miles ahead. And was an essential companion in the field when trying to get to grips to our first Neotropical birds. Since that first trip (and the second the year after) this has been the gold standard of fieldguides against which I measure all other fieldguides. Yes, it is heavy. But what do you expect if you have this many species to cover in this much detail.
This year I got to use it again, in my fourth trip to Mexico, revisiting some of the northern states: Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas. Yes, some of the taxonomy has been updated since, but not so much that it has become obsolete. Yes, we now mostly use Merlin in the field, but that doesn't nearly have the same level of detail. And in the end, you are better off with a fieldguide with plates than with photo's, because it can point out the important differences (together with the text, highlighing similar species). Yes, Steve Howell also wrote some of the text for Merlin, so that helps. No, the species I still needed this time were not as challenging as those in my first trips, when I started out with Myiarchus flycatchers. (Thick Billed Parrot isn't an ID challenge, just hard to get to). (also, I came with a guide this time)
Yes, it is still heavy, but I'm still glad I took it along into the field. Still good. If only more fieldguides were this good.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the color plates throughout. There isn't a ton of information about each bird, but if you are looking solely for visual identification, this does the trick.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howell's guide to the birds of Mexico is by far the best field guide for Mexico. Webb's iilustrations are fantastic with great details to different plumages and sexes. The text is superb and readily gives need information at a glance. Even with all this praise the book has one major flaw -- no information or illustrations of North American migrants (basically any bird that breeds north of Mexico). I just got back from a two week birding trip to Mexico and eventhough it wasn't necessary to have pictures of the northern breeders it would have been nice to have access on distribution, migration times,ect... Even with the flaw Howell's guide is essential birding material and should be on every birders shelf who has an interest in neotropical nature.

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous field guide! I have used it extensively to bird the Sonora region of Mexico including the Sierra Madrean mountains east of Hermosilla (near Yecora). Some of my favorite sightings: Mountain Trogon, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, Brown-backed Solitaire, Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush, Russet Nightingale-Thrush, Blue Mockingbird, Gray Silky-Flycatcher, Crescent-chested Warbler, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch, and many, many more!

[Tomek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful natural history background and illustrations. The problem is that it is absolutely huge. Not exactly a field guide...

[William Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guide, but could be better. See Sibley and National Geographic. Description, illustration and map should all be on same page.