Brazil's bird diversity is one of the richest in the
world. And yet there has never been a comprehensive
field guide to this splendid and elusive avifauna. Until
now. The carefully vetted text and images are the first
to cover the full range of bird life in this vast and
varied country. The more than 1800 up-to-date accounts
treat the Yellow-nosed Albatross to the Sombre
Hummingbird, the Ash-throated Gnat-eater to the
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Nighthawks and Jacamars to
Motmots, Puffbirds, and Peppershrikes. They are all
here--every species and many subspecies found in each
region of Brazil--with special attention given to the
218 Brazilian endemics. The book is laid out so that the
illustrations sit across from the commentary and the
distribution maps, so it is easy to use. Also, the
author uses short-hand notation throughout, to make the
book compact and easy to carry when in the field. For
each bird, the scientific, English, and Portuguese name
are given as well as detailed information on
measurement; identifying features; habitat; voice, song,
and call.Distribution maps show the range for each
species, also indicating seasonality and occurrence,
essential for finding and identifying specific birds.
From the equatorial North to the tropics, the
introductory paragraphs set the stage in describing
Brazil's varied biogeography, climate, geomorphology,
and natural vegetation. A list of protected areas of
Brazil, information on relevant national and
international organizations, a bibliography and further
references, and an English-Portuguese dictionary of
frequently used terms enhance the user-friendly
qualities. Anyone wishing to fully explore the
fabulously varied bird life of Brazil will find this
light-weight, easy-to-use, attractive guide an
invaluable field companion. |
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