| Series | Helm Field Guides |
| Author | Richard Garrigues |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 9781472916532 |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Pages | 440 |
| Format | 20 x 13 cm |
| Binding | paperback |
| Pictures | richly illustrated, full color |
| Year of publication | 2014 |
Graced with bounteous natural beauty Costa Rica has become a popular
destination for travelers from all over the world. Birds play a
prominent role in attracting visitors, too. The shimmering quetzals,
gaudy macaws, and comical toucans that populate tourism posters only
begin to hint at the impressive avian diversity to be found throughout
this small country.
The principle objective of this book is to help you correctly identify
birds in Costa Rica. Each family of birds is introduced by a brief
description that should help the novice birder determine to which group
a bird belongs. Nearly every species is illustrated by one or more
images, as needed. Corresponding to each species' illustration is a
written account on the facing page. The account begins with the unique
field marks to look for that will distinguish each species from similar
ones. Following the description of unique markings is information about
how common a species is and where it occurs geographically. To the left
of most accounts is a thumbnail map of Costa Rica showing the species'
range within the country. Many species accounts include a description
of vocalization.
This new edition features 903 species in total, including 64 that are illustrated here for the first time. The 174 colour plates include 360 new images from artist Robert Dean. The text and maps have been fully updated to ensure that this guide is the definitive field guide for anyone visiting Costa Rica.
