Toucans of the Americas / Tucanos das Americas. Alvarenga, Herculano. Rio de Janeiro: M. Pontual Edições e Arte, 2004. 44 watercolor paintings by Eduardo Brettas depict all of the Ramphastidae Family. Texts on evolution, distribution, migration, behavior. Parallel text in English and Portuguese. 120 pp. $60.00

Toucans are exclusively neotropical birds. They habitate an area from the central portion of Mexico to the South of Brazil. They are some of the most beautiful and fascinating birds, attracting interest from novice and expert birders alike. This oversize book blends art and science in a captivating study.

Full-page watercolors in incredible detail and color depict the exotic and eye-catching birds which live in the forests of the Americas from Mexico to Southern Brazil.

Each species is shown on its own magnificent illustration, showing the birds (male and female where necessary) in their native habitat. The opposite page gives a detailed description, distribution range, habitat and more in both Portuguese and English.

One section of the book is devoted to the background of the ramphastids (toucans, toucanets and aracaris). Chapters of this section deal with evolution, distribution and migration, and behaviour.

The text by noted ornithologist Herculano Alvarenga and the incredible detail of the illustrations make this book a valuable reference, while the sheer beauty of these exotic birds make it a pleasure to look at time and again.

About the author:
The zoologist Herculano Alvarenga was the first Brazilian to study the bird fossils of his homeland, and the founder of the Taubate Natural History Museum where he continues his research into modern birds and their fossil ancestors.

About the illustrator:
Nature painter Eduardo Brettas devotes his time to representations of a wide variety of bird species in magnificent watercolors. He has illustrated close to a dozen nature books and is noted for the scientific accuracy and meticulous detail in his paintings.

Language: Text in Portuguese and English.
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