A visit to Trinidad and Tobago has introduced countless birders to the astonishingly rich South American avifauna. Members of nearly all the families of South American birds can be found in these two beautiful West Indian Islands, where the climate is pleasant and the habitats varied. This easy-to-use book is the second edition of a comprehensive yet compact field guide to more than 420 species of the island's birds. First published in 1973, it has been brought up to date - and a new color plate and redrawn illustrations have been added.

In his introduction, Richard Ffrench offers a full treatment of the history of ornithology in Trinidad and Tobago, and then sets the scene by describing the environment of the islands, including physiography, climate, and vegetation. Thirteen photographs depict the variety of habitats found on the islands. The author also details the distribution of species, their breeding and migration, as well as local conservation and protection measures.

Individual species accounts, arranged by family, make up the core of this practical identification guide, covering habitat and status, range and subspecies, field description and basic measurements, voice, food, nesting, and behavior. They are illustrated by 29 color plates, 9 color portraits, and 24 drawings - the work of two of the foremost artists in Neotropical ornithology. A comprehensive bibliography lists more than 300 titles from the ornithological literature on birds of the area. Second Edition