Birds of Mexico and Central America

I just got back from a trip to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries in the mountains outside of Mexico City. I'm an avid birder here in the US and knew that being in the mountains we'd get to see some terrific birds along our hikes into the butterfly sanctuaries (which is an absolutely incredible experience I must add). This bird book was really easy to use with the images of the birds and their names in the first part of the book and the range maps in the back. I had no trouble at all flipping back and forth and even taught our guide how to use it. I ended up leaving the book with him so he can take others on birding walks through the Monarch butterfly sanctuaries as well. This was the first time he had ever used a bird book and he picked it up quickly too. I wanted to mention that because other reviews that I had read prior to buying it indicated that this was a difficult book to use and it's not at all. Other reviews also indicated that the drawings of the birds were super small and not very good - this is not the case either. They do have a number of birds on each plate but I found this to be a "plus" since it made it easier to compare different birds and figure out which ones I was seeing without having to flip through pages. It's important to become familiar with any bird book before you go out into the field, study the birds, look at the indicator markings etc. before going out in the field so you aren't trying to process too much info when a bird is zipping by. This book does not point out specific indicator marks but if you look at the pictures you can see the differentiators. Since I left my copy of this book in Mexico with our guide, I am buying another one to take with me on future trips. I think that's probably the best testament that I can give. I also have the book by Howell and Webb but it's too thick and heavy to take on a trip where you're wearing a backpack and carrying water and binos and cameras and such. I left the Howell and Webb book at home but it has great images and more information on each bird in it. Best of both worlds is to study the Howell and Webb book at home before the trip and take this Birds of Mexico and Central America book with you into the field. (For comparison, this book is pretty much the same size and thickness as my Sibleys)

I birded several Mexico places with this little fieldguide booklet.. it was perfect for me!... I had experience birdng (not good book for the beginner or amateur) so it was eeezy.. in fact, better, faster, greater than birding a year or two later with the big MEXICO and CENTRAL AMERICA field guide...even illustrations are not as good as in other Princeton illustrated mini field guides, they were enough good to ID all species in the field...nice book, worth!!

Just the right guide, especially when used with "A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas: Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador"

I bought this book for a trip to Belize. I wanted something easy to carry in my backpack or pocket to quickly refer to. This fit the bill nicely. Pictures at first glance are just okay looking but I had no problem using them for identification. The range maps were at the back and small (not on the same page with the bird). This was not really a problem though. I found the numbering system easy to flip to the range maps quickly. Others on my trip had the Birds of Belize (much bigger book) but I did not find myself having to use their book.

For what this little book purports to be, it's a gem. Packed with data, you can carry it into the bush, whip it out to check that field mark and then slip it back into your pocket. Don't confuse it with Howell and Webb or Stiles and Skutch. You need those too. Think of this one as a tool for the field and enjoy!