The Birds of Ecuador - by Robert S Ridgely & Paul J Greenfield (Paperback)

About the Book

Volume II, the field guide volume of this two-volume set, contains 96 full-color plates and facing pages of descriptive text, along with 115 silhouette outlines and nearly 1600 distribution maps.

Book Synopsis

The Birds of Ecuador comprehensively treats the nearly 1600 species of birds that can be found in mainland Ecuador. The authors describe Ecuador this way:

"One of the wonders of the natural world. Nowhere else is such incredible avian diversity crammed into such a small country.... Birds are, happily, numerous in many parts of Ecuador: even the downtown parks of the big cities such as Quito and Guayaquil host their complement."

Volume I, Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy, contains detailed information on the ecology, status, and distribution of all species. Introductory chapters deal with geography, climate, and vegetation; bird migration in Ecuador; Ecuadorian ornithology; endemic bird areas in Ecuador; and conservation. Individual species accounts treat habitat, distribution, and taxonomy.

Volume II, Field Guide, contains 96 full-color plates and facing pages of descriptive text, a color map of Ecuador, 2 line drawings of bird anatomy, 115 silhouette outlines, and nearly 1600 distribution maps. All species are illustrated in full color, including migrants and vagrants and visually distinctive subspecies. The text focuses on the field identification aspects of each species, including their behavior, vocalizations, and nest appearance.

The two volumes are available separately or may be purchased as a slipcased set.

Review Quotes

The Birds of Ecuador is a monumental guide to the birds of this country and does a remarkable job of describing them all.... Volume 1 of The Birds of Ecuador could stand alone as a resource; however, it is completed (and made much more useful) by the accompanying volume 2 with its illustrations, descriptions, and range maps. The two volumes of this title will remain the stand for this country and for other South American bird guides for a long time. It is highly recommended for any research library.

-- "E-Streams"

Many of us can only long to travel to exotic birding places in South America, ... but Ridgely and Greenfield live the dream and generously share it with us through their exquisite writings and paintings.... In summary, this is a thorough and thoughtful production that not only provides useful and complete information, but does so in a user-friendly manner.... The decades-long wait for these volumes has been worth it!

-- "Birders Journal"

The Field Guide volume, 'intended primarily for field use, ' contains plates, distribution maps, and text geared toward the identification of all the birds of Ecuador (excluding the Galapagos Islands). Its companion, Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy, suggested 'for your library (or hotel room or even car), ' covers the occurrence and systematics of these same species. Undoubtedly, the field guide will be the volume most often consulted; an excellent aid for field identification of Ecuadorian birds, it will also be useful in much of Colombia, northern Peru, and western Brazil. Illustrations make or break a field guide. The 96 color plates, all by Greenfield, are vibrant, clear, and very effective. They depict nearly the entire avifauna, including migrants and species known in Ecuador only from a single record. They also show many rarely illustrated plumages (such as in the highly polymorphic hawks and eagles).... The Field Guide will be indispensable to all field biologists and birdwatchers visiting Ecuador and northwestern South America.

-- "Science"

The long awaited The Birds of Ecuador is finally out and the results are well worth the wait. The 2-volume set is a massive piece of work and the authors intended the 2-volume set to be used by both traveling birders and ornithologists.... Both volumes complement each other perfectly and are well worth the price. These volumes add tremendously to the available information of South American avifauna.

-- "Surfbirds Book Reviews"

This long awaited, monumental two volume set reveals the ornithological secrets and diversity of this small Latin American nation.... The two amassed so much information, they could not fit it in one book.... The Birds of Ecuador is an incredible achievement and is most highly recommended.

-- "Wildlife Activist"

This outstanding work is the culmination of a 20-year collaboration between Ridgely... and Greenfield.... Indispensable for those planning to do bird work in Ecuador or surrounding countries. Should be in every library with major holdings on bird life or tropical ecology.

-- "Choice"

What Ridgely and Greenfield have produced is arguably the most important publication on birds in the region since the appearance of Wetmore's... treatise on the birds of Panama a half-century ago.... The accounts are compacted but chock-full of information, covering status, habitat, field marks, similar species, habits, and voice. Despite the fact that this is a superb field guide, ... it is the companion volume that elevates these books to a rarefied standing. This book consists of accounts for all the species in the field guide.... The second volume makes this set more than just a field guide and handbook. It makes it perhaps the single most important reference for students, professionals, and bird watchers interested in the birds of South America, one that will be a first source for decades.

-- "Bird Watcher's Digest"

About the Author

Robert S. Ridgely is a world-renowned ornithologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences and the author of Birds of Panama and Birds of South America. Paul J. Greenfield has been studying and painting the birds while residing in Ecuador for 28 years. Frank B. Gill is Senior Vice President of Science for the National Audubon Society, former President of the American Ornithologists' Union, and the author of Ornithology.