Birds of South America: Non-Passerines: Rheas to Woodpeckers.
Francisco Erize, Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata, and Maurice Rumboll.
Princeton University Press, 2006.
A concise guide to the nearly 1300 species of non-passerines. Color plates, range maps. 376 pp. Paper.
$29.95

This new field guide in the Princeton Illustrated Checklist series fills a gap in the coverage of South American birds. Very portable, at just 5" x 7½" and 1 ½ pounds, this book is concise yet comprehensive. It illustrates all of the nearly 1,300 species of non-passerines that inhabit the continent on 156 color plates by Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata (he also produced many of the illustrations in another book in the series, Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica). The illustrations are exceptional; many neotropical birders will want the book for the illustrations alone.

The text concentrates on the key identification features of each species and follows the layout of other books in the Princeton Illustrated Checklist series. A handy feature which is not carried through all of the series are the range maps which are placed next to the text, opposite the color plates. (In most of this series, the maps are relegated to the back of the book.) While this is great for quick navigation, the maps are of necessity so small that not much detailed information can be taken from them. The text is also quite abbreviated, but the important points are present.

While this book shouldn't replace a single-country field guide, it would make an excellent complement to regional and country guides.

This book is intended to complement Ridgely and Tudor’s large-format reference volumes on the passerines, The Birds of South America, which will soon be available in a single-volume field guide format.

• 156 color plates
• More than 1,270 maps
• 376 pp.
• 5" x 7 ½" (13 x 19cm)
• 1 LB, 6oz (630kg)
• Paperback
• $29.95

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Francisco Erize is a well-known conservationist in Argentina and author or coauthor of numerous books on the wildlife of both Argentina and South America, including The National Parks of Argentina and Other Natural Areas. His photographs have appeared in hundreds of publications.

Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata is a freelance artist specializing in bird illustration. His work has appeared in a number of Argentine publications, and he is currently working on a definitive guide to the country's birds.

Maurice Rumboll, also based in Argentina, is an environmentalist, bird-tour leader, and freelance writer. He is coauthor of Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica.