Travel to Polar Regions

Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica.

Format: Paperback
Author: Martin R. de la Pena
ReleaseDate: 1998
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Rating:

Very Portable and Useful Little Guide
So instead of carrying one guide I need to figure out which combination of books will strike a balance between usefulness and space/weight. I am going birding in Bolivia -- which does not yet have it's own field guide -- later this year. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my main resources. It is very portable and so far about 85 percent of the birds I may potentially see are in here. In no way is this book intended to replace a full scale field guide such as "Birds of Columbia" by Hilty or "Birds of the High Andes" but then again it is less than one quarter the size and weight. Also, FYI -- it is quite a bit more than merely an illustrated checklist: you do get a small one paragraph description for each bird, a range map at the back which is a little inconvenient but many full size guides use this format also. The book is probably a little out of date as far as some of the finer points of taxonomy -- but many of the recent arguments are at least explained. All in all -- I feel this will be a very useful book to have along, though it will definitely not be the only book I'll have along.

Southern South America Field Guide
The art work is adequate, but the plates are crowded and disorganized, and it is sometimes difficult to find the specific number you are looking for to coordinate with the printed information. This appears to be a compact but comprehensive field guide to the birds of southern South America. The other drawback is that the range maps are at the back of the book, a failing common to many older guides. In the absence of anything better, this should serve the purpose well. .

A better guide for Argentina...
Instead of this book, I recommend you consider "Birds of Argentina & Uruguay" by Tito Narosky and Dario Yzurieta. I found this guide to be occasionally inaccurate and lacking much needed info for any serious birding, though it is useful as a backup/reference for other area guides. If not easy to find on Amazon, try Birdlife International, or just pick up a copy in Buenos Aires.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Polar Regions travel books.

	Birds of South America: Non-Passerines: Rheas to Woodpeckers (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)
	Brazil: Amazon And Pantanal (Travellers' Wildlife Guides)