Winner, Award of Merit in Design, Southern Books Competition, Southeastern Library Association
A land of incredible natural resources, the South American continent is rich in plant and animal species. Among birds alone, over 3,100 species are either resident or migrant. Birds are some of South America's treasures and also one of its most endangered resources. Hence the need for a descriptive record of South American birds that will serve both professional and amateur bird students and encourage conservation of these magnificent species.
Although South American birds elicit much popular and scientific interest, they have never been completely or satisfactorily described and cataloged in a single, published source. The Birds of South America, projected to be a four-volume work, thus fills a critical void. Starting from a museum approach, the authors have examined specimens of each subspecies, comparing them visually and trying to discern the patterns in their plumage variation, both intra- and inter-specifically. They take a new look at bird systematics, reassessing relationships in light of new information. Perhaps most important, they combine this review and analysis with extensive field observations to give an accurate, incisive portrait of the birds in nature.
At a time when rapid development is devastating millions of acres of tropical habitat in South America, this record of an endangered resource becomes crucial. If the birds and other plants and animals of South America are to be saved, they must first be known and appreciated. The Birds of South America is a major step in that direction.
Volume I includes the Jays and Swallows; Wrens, Thrushes, and Allies; Vireos and Wood-warblers; Tanagers, Icterids, and Finches.
The remaining volumes of The Birds of South America will be:
<ul>
<li>Volume III: The Nonpasserines (Landbirds)</li>
<li>Volume IV: The Nonpasserines (Waterbirds)</li>
</ul>
No release date has been set for the remaining volumes.

The Birds of South America: Volume 1: The Oscine Passerines

Science & Math

Robert S. Ridgely

Guy, Tudor

Biological Sciences

University of Texas Press

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

A Guide to the Birds of Panama

History

Americas

Princeton University Press

A Guide to the Birds of Panama, with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras

John A. Gwynne Jr.

The Birds of Ecuador: Vol 1 & 2

Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd.

Field Guide to the Birds of South America: Passerines (Helm Field Guides)

Some of the most spectacular and enchanting ambassadors of the natural world, hummingbirds captivate anyone lucky enough to have witnessed their incredible color palette and supernatural flight ability.\nThis photographic field-guide to the hummingbirds of Ecuador will be an invaluable aid for the intrepid bird-watcher, and an excellent way for any nature lover to learn about the mind-boggling diversity of hummingbirds to be seen in this small Andean country.\nWorld-class images accompany informative text and range maps of 120 species of Ecuador's most impressive hummingbirds. This up-to-date information is compiled by Dr. Robert S. Ridgely, one of the world's most renowned ornithologists with over 40 years of experience in the Neotropics.

Hummingbirds of Ecuador Field Guide

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Books by Robert S. Ridgely