Reviewed by Frank Lambert on December 7th, 2014.
Publisher: Conservation Allies LLC
Date: August, 2014
Illustrations: paintings
Binding: paperback
Pages: 396
Size: 5″ x 8.25″
List Price: $34.95
In 2010, I reviewed the first edition of this essential field guide. The first edition proved to be so popular that the authors have seen fit to publish this fully revised edition – another very welcome addition to the field guides to birds of this very rich region. As the authors note, Colombia recently became the first country to reach a staggering country list of 1,900 species – about 20% of the world’s birds – and recognition of this as well as an excellent birding infrastructure has led to a noticeable increase to the number of birders visiting this wonderful country.
Whilst still very compact compared to most field guides to Neotropical birds, this edition contains 360 plates compared to 225 in the first edition. This is because not only has the text been improved and lengthened slightly where necessary, but additional plates of birds in flight and new species accounts for recently recorded or split species have been incorporated. Not only have 1300 species been re-illustrated but the quality of reproduction of the plates has also been significantly improved in this second edition. Other improvements include a very useful fold-out topographical map of Colombia on the inside cover that shows the location of all of the ProAves reserves, and a short section on Top Areas for Birding in Colombia. One improvement that I particularly liked was the new maps, many of which have been significantly refined, and all of which now indicate which subspecies occur where – something that will undoubtedly prove to be very useful in this age of rapidly changing taxonomy. The majority of species accounts now also contain a short description of voice, something that is often important in the field when dealing with look-alike species.
Although slightly larger than the first edition, this field guide miraculously fits into a large coat pocket, or easily into any bag, and it will be an invaluable companion on any birding trip to Colombia. Once again, the authors, as well as ProAves, have produced an outstanding piece of work, and all profits from its sale will go towards conservation of the many threatened birds illustrated in the book. If you are a birder visiting Colombia you have to take Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia, Second Edition
– Reviewed by Frank Lambert
Disclosure: I get a small commission for purchases made through links in this post.
Buy from NHBS
(based in the U.K.)
(8 votes, average: 4.13 out of 5)
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hello, i need to buy this book Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia: Second Edition
How can I buy it?
It used to be available by the publisher through Amazon for $35. But it seems like that is no longer an option. You can still buy through Amazon, but the cheapest option at the moment is $186.35 – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982761554/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0982761554&linkCode=as2&tag=thebirslib-20&linkId=RQ2KHGGV7KXGFDNS
Buteo Books also has it for $75, but it says backordered, so not sure when it will – or if – it will be available. – http://www.buteobooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=BBBAO&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=B475
Your best bet seems to by NHBS, a British bookseller. They seem to have them in stock for 25 pounds – http://www.nhbs.com/product/216777?bkfno=216777&af_id=1779648
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve
found something that helped me. Kudos!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about field guide to the birds of colombia second edition.
Regards
I had just ordered the book, and found the quality of the pictures very fuzzy, dull and lacking crispness. Is this due to the fact that that book was printed in Bogotá? Or was yours as well and did I just received a misprint.
Jaap:
I don’t own this guide, so I asked Frank, who wrote this review. Here’s what he said:
The pictures in the Colombia guide are not very sharply defined and relatively dull, yes. I wouldn’t quite call them fuzzy myself, but perhaps some people would….
For me, the guide is OK though, despite the fact that the plates don’t reach the standard that we are more used to seeing.
A queima de gorduras é principal objetivo do Q48.
Uma fascinante discussão é definitivamente vale a pena comentário.
Eu acredito que devia publicar mais sobre isto assunto, pode não ser um tabu assunto
mas geralmente pessoal não discutir tais
temas . Para a próxima! Tudo de melhor !
I have the McMullan Ecuador guide and the most annoying thing about it is the lack of an index. Does this one have an index?
I don’t have any edition of this guide (yet!), but the latest is the 3rd edition. I don’t see any mention of an index in the description, but that’s not definitive.
I have both, the second and the third. The third has 2 indexes. One of common names and the other of cientific names. I´m really used to the second edition, but last time I brought it to field, it fel on a puddle. If any of you has the second edition in a very good shape, I would change my third edition, still flat and shiny.
Leaving next month to Bogota, I search in vain a copy of the Mc Mullan field guide ?? Out of print, none in NHBS, none in Amazon … Is it possible that the richest Ornithologic country of the planet has no field guide currently available ?? Shall I find it more easely in Bogota ?
Peyo,
It seems that Buteo Books has a used copy of the 1st edition of McMullan:
https://www.buteobooks.com/pages/books/13277U/miles-mcmullan-thomas-m-donegan-alonso-quevedo/field-guide-to-the-birds-of-colombia-used&Affiliate=birderslib.html
There’s also a good field guide from Lynx.
https://www.buteobooks.com/pages/books/15012H/steven-l-hilty/birds-of-colombia-hardcover&Affiliate=birderslib.html
Here’s a review of that one:
https://www.birderslibrary.com/reviews/books/field/birds_of_colombia.htm
There’s also this one, but I don’t have a review of it:
https://www.buteobooks.com/pages/books/15019/fernando-ayerbe-quinones/an-illustrated-field-guide-to-the-birds-of-colombia&Affiliate=birderslib.html