Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao - (Zona Tropical Publications) by Jeffrey V Wells & Allison Childs Wells & Robert Dean (Paperback)

About the Book

Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao is the essential guide for anyone traveling to those islands. It showcases the more than 280 species seen on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao and provides descriptions of and directions to the best places to bird, from the famous white sand beaches to hidden watering holes to the majestic national parks.

Book Synopsis

Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao is the essential guide for anyone traveling to those islands. It showcases the more than 280 species seen on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao and provides descriptions of and directions to the best places to bird, from the famous white sand beaches to hidden watering holes to the majestic national parks.

Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao--the "ABCs"--located in the southwestern Caribbean, not far from Venezuela, share fascinating ecological features with the West Indies as well as the South American mainland, making birding on the islands unique. The identification portion of the book features endemic subspecies such as the Brown-throated Parakeet; a wide variety of wintering North American migrants; spectacular restricted-range northern South American species such as the Yellow-shouldered Parrot, Bare-eyed Pigeon, Troupial, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, and Yellow Oriole; and West Indian species including the Pearly-eyed Thrasher and Caribbean Elaenia.

Colorful introductory sections provide readers with a brief natural history of the islands, detailing the geography, geology, and general ecology of each. In the site guide that follows, Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Childs Wells share their more than two decades of experience in the region, providing directions to the best birding spots. Clear, easy-to-read maps accompany each site description, along with notes about the species that birders are likely to find.

The identification section is arranged in classic field guide format and offers vivid descriptions of each bird, along with tips on how to identify them by sight and sound. The accounts also include current status and seasonality, if relevant, and common names in English, Dutch, and Papiamento, often inspired by the unique voices of the birds, such as the "chibichibi" (Bananaquit) and "choco" (Burrowing Owl). The accompanying color plates feature the beautiful work of illustrator Robert Dean.

The final section, on conservation, raises awareness about threats facing the birds and the habitats on which they rely and summarizes conservation initiatives and needs, offering recommendations for each island.

Review Quotes

The authors are professional musicians(!), obviously accomplished birders, and well-published authors, and they have produced a really nice book here--although it is not typical of many modern guides. The first 95 pages present detailed information for finding the best birding areas on each island, as well as available amenities (which is very helpful). Approximately 280 species of birds occur in the area, and these are listed and discussed in the middle 190 pages, a considerable departure from text and illustrations occurring on the same page. Species discussions include a brief description, mention of similar species, conservation status, and known range. Following the discussions, 59 attractive color plates contain paintings of all species. The final few pages consider bird conservation on the islands. This book is an absolute must for birders traveling to the islands, but the restricted coverage area will limit desirability for many North American libraries, except those with extensive ornithological holdings.

This guide to the more than 280 bird species seen on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao is accessible to both beginners and experts. In this work that serves as both a site guide and a field guide to the islands' birds, readers will find excellent maps and illustrations along with detailed bird descriptions. The section on conservation adds awareness of the threats to the birds and to the habitats on which they rely. This reliable and enjoyable resource is recommended to public libraries.

About the Author

Jeffrey V. Wells is Senior Scientist for the International Boreal Conservation Campaign and Boreal Songbird Initiative and is a Research Associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He is the author of Birder's Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk, coauthor with Allison Childs Wells of Maine's Favorite Birds and Birds of Sapsucker Woods, and editor of Boreal Birds of North America. Allison Childs Wells is Senior Director of Public Affairs at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. She is a widely published natural history writer and contributor of many bird family accounts to Scholastic's New Book of Knowledge. She is coauthor with Jeffrey V. Wells of Maine's Favorite Birds and Birds of Sapsucker Woods. Robert Dean is an acclaimed nature artist who has painted birds for field guides covering all seven countries in Central America.