The Birds Of South America

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 II includes the Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers, Antbirds, Gnatcatchers, and Tapaculos; Tyrant Flycatchers; and Manakins and Cotingas. The remaining volumes of The Birds of South America will be: Volume III: The Nonpasserines (Landbirds) Volume IV: The Nonpasserines (Waterbirds) No release date has been set for the remaining volumes.

Covers more than a thousand species. Accompanying text is full of facts.

"Birds of South America Non-Passerines: Rheas to Woodpeckers features: first guide to nearly 1,300 species of non-passerines in South America; easy-to-use format; complements volumes on passerine birds; contains key identification features; more than 150 color illustrations; and 1,270+ maps."--BOOK JACKET.

The only field guide to illustrate and describe every non-passerine species of bird in South America.

A unique field guide and reference, Where to Watch Birds in South America is designed to help the avid birder and the general wildlife enthusiast organize eventful journeys throughout the richest continent for birds, where the species number over three thousand. This book covers more than two hundred of the best sites for birdwatching, and includes the archipelagos of Trinidad and Tobago, the Galapagos and Falkland Islands, the Netherland Antilles, and part of Antarctica. The reader will find details of every species that is endemic to particular countries, and will learn where and when best to see such birds as the scarlet ibis, Andean condor, harpy eagle, sunbittern, macaw, toucan, jacamar, antbird, and cotinga. The text is enhanced by nearly one hundred maps and fifty line drawings. There are even hints as to where species not seen for decades may be rediscovered. This guide begins with an introduction to the continent and its birds then deals with particular countries and archipelagos. The site details include bird lists, a list of other wildlife present, and the latest advice on where to look for birds. For the traveler, there is information on transport, accommodations, safety, and health, and answers to various strategic questions: Which countries support the most species? How many sites must be visited to see most of them? How long does this take? When is the best time to go? Whether a first-time visitor to South America or a seasoned traveler there, the reader will find this guide immensely useful in making the most out of the trip. Originally published in 1994. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

With the publication of the landmark volumes The Birds of South America: The Oscine Passerines and The Birds of South America: The Suboscine Passerines, Robert S. Ridgely and Guy Tudor established themselves as the leading authorities on the songbirds of South America. Reviewers hailed the volumes as the essential reference works for professional ornithologists and avocational birders alike, and they remain the only volumes that provide full scientific coverage of the continent's passerines. Recognizing the need for a more compact guide that birders can take into the field, Ridgely and Tudor have now extracted and updated the essential identification information from The Birds of South America to create the Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America. This definitive guide is filled with indispensable features: 121 color plates that present Guy Tudor's magnificently detailed paintings of more than 1,500 species of songbirds, including more than 400 that were not illustrated in BOSA 160 additional color illustrations of subspecies and females Extensively updated color range maps for all of the species in the field guide, prepared by Robert S. Ridgely with technical assistance from Maria Allen and Terry Clarke, appear opposite the plates for each bird family Robert S. Ridgely's authoritative accounts of nearly 2,000 species that cover each bird's abundance, habitat, and range; elevational preference; taxonomic or nomenclatural changes; plumage description; general behavior and voice; and range beyond South America, if applicable

Presents a cultural ethnography and a guide to the forest birds of southern Chile and Argentina. This title includes entries on fifty bird species, such as the Magellanic Woodpecker, Rufous-Legged Owl, Ringed Kingfisher, Buff-Necked Ibis, Giant Hummingbird, and Andean Condor.