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The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.

South American bird books

For bird books about individual South American countries see the pages:

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela

Birds of Brazil: The Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil, including São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro

John A. Gwynne, Robert S. Ridgely, Guy Tudor and Martha Argel

Comstock Publishing Associates

2016

"In the Birds of Brazil Field Guides, the Wildlife Conservation Society brings together a top international team to do justice to the incredible diversity of Brazilian birds. This second guide presents 927 bird species, 863 illustrated, that occur in just the southeastern Atlantic Forest biome (Mata Atlantica in Portuguese). Of these species, 140 are endemic and 105 near endemic to just this region; 83 of these are threatened. Modern and compact, this field guide provides illustrations of unparalleled quality, key field marks, and regional range maps to facilitate easy recognition of all species normally occurring in this vibrant and critically important area of Brazil."

Brazil Birds: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species

James Kavanagh and Raymond Leung

2016

"This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species and includes a map featuring prominent bird-viewing areas. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike."

Aves da Cristalino Lodge: An Amazonian Sanctuary / Santuário Amazônico

Edson Endrigo, Bradley Davis

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

2015

"Aves da Cristalino Lodge offers the public excellent bird photographs by renowned photographer Edson Endrigo, and other photographers and resident guides who contributed to Aves da Cristalino Lodge. The text is by Bradley Davies, connoisseur of the birds of this region, who for over 10 years has been engrossed in the woods and trails of Cristalino Lodge, a pioneering project embedded in the midst of the Amazon rainforest with the theme of sustainable tourism."

Aves da Serra dos Órgãos e Adjacências: Guia de Campo / Field Guide to the Birds of the Serra dos Órgãos and Surrounding Area

Daniel Mello, Gabriel Mello, Francisco Mallet-Rodrigues

2015

A 350 page photographic guide that covers over 500 species with descriptions (by Francisco Mallet-Rodrigues), distribution maps, and over 870 photographs (by Daniel & Gabriel Mello).

The Valley of Mutum / Vale do Mutum

Tavinho Moura

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

2015

200 page photography book that includes photographs of 127 species found in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.

Aves: Estado de Minas de Gerais

Edson Endrigo, Luís Fábio Silveira

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

2014

220 page photographic guide that cover 223 species that can be found in the Brazilian state of state of Minas Gerais.

Aves: Ambientes Costeiros/ Birds: Coast and Sea

Edson Endrigo

2013

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Photographs of 100 species found on the coast and at sea around Brazil.

Aves da Caatinga / Birds of the Caatinga

Edson Endrigo

2011

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Photographs of 100 species found in the Caatinga region of North East Brazil.

Birds of Brazil: The Pantanal and Cerrado of Central Brazil

John A. Gwynne, Robert S. Ridgely, Guy Tudor and Martha Argel

Comstock Publishing Associates

2010

"This first guide of the planned five-volume series features the 743 bird species of the Pantanal and Cerrado regions of Central Brazil. The sprawling Pantanal plain, one of the world's most famed birding sites, is a seasonally flooded wetland boasting both impressive concentrations of large waterbirds and species such as the Toco Toucan, Hyacinth Macaw, Golden-collared Macaw, and endemic Blaze-winged Parakeets. The Cerrado is a distinctive Brazilian habitat that is the planet's biologically richest savanna. This compact modern field guide's unparalleled color artwork throughout, identification points, and range map for each species enable easy identification of all the birds normally found in these vibrant and critically important areas of Brazil. With 116 threatened species encompassing 25 percent of South America's threatened birds, Brazil has an imperative to conserve its birds and unique habitats that begins with their appreciation and identification. Thus, the species accounts are coupled with an introductory chapter on the region's unique environments and pressing conservation challenges. This practical and portable guide is an indispensable companion to those visiting Brazil's glorious natural areas of the Pantanal and Cerrado."

A Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil

Juha Honkala and Seppo Niiranen

"The site descriptions include information on some 50 excellent birdwatching sites throughout South-East Brazil with accurate directions on how-to-get-there, details of what to see and expect, plus important information on conditions. In addition, the book includes illustrations of 558 species. Total number of photographs is 960. Itatiaia National Park, Campos do Jordão, Serra da Canastra, Ubatuba and Serra dos Órgãos are among the best known birdwatching sites. These sites are described in detail, accompanied by an informative map. Also, for the first time, many excellent and virtually unknown birdwatching sites are described in the book. The species accounts include all details necessary for field identification of the 471 species recorded in the Agulhas Negras area, in the heart of South-East Brazil, plus scientific and common names in English and Portuguese, size, voice descriptions, subspecies, habitat, distribution and status in the area. Each species is illustrated with a high quality, full color photograph. Range maps show the birds' distribution in Brazil. A comprehensive species list of South-East Brazil, bibliography and a list of useful addresses and websites completes the volume."

Aves Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Birds of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Guilherme Alves Serpa and Edson Endrigo

2010

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Covers over 750 species found in the Rio De Janeiro region.

Aves Estado de Sao Paulo / Birds of the State of Sao Paulo

Edson Endrigo

2010

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Covers over 700 species found in Sao Paulo.

Amazon Basin: Plant Life, Wildlife and Environment

Editor: Nicolas Rojas and Rafael Prieto

2010

"Amazonian rain forest forms one of the most precious ecosystems and provides habitat for more than 50 per cent of plant and animal species. This unique ecosystem is highly disturbed by human activities, which causes biodiversity losses. Biodiversity monitoring and conservation plays one of the most important roles of tropical environment protection. This book focuses on the assessment of species diversity and species richness in various land use systems. This book also discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the Brazilian ecotourism industry and the establishment of an eco-triple helix in the Brazilian Amazon region. Over the past two decades, the international community has become aware of the global and regional environmental risks associated with possible massive forest losses in the Brazilian Amazon. The authors of this book investigate the stochastic and dynamic relationship of land use in the Brazilian Amazon. Other chapters in this book examine the main deforestation drivers of the Brazilian Amazon rainforests, the various factors (i.e., geological age, habitat heterogeneity) that generate and maintain fish species diversity in Amazon floodplain lakes, and the causes and effects of fish contamination due to malaria control in the Brazilian Amazon."

Pantanal Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide to Brazil's Great Wetland

James Lowan

Bradt

2010

"The Pantanal of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay is South America's Serengeti: its wetlands are the largest on earth (they're half the size of France) and, in the dry season, crocodiles and storks jostle to gobble the last of the dying fish. Here, the continent's largest cat, the jaguar, lives alongside giant otters, anacondas and the world's largest parrot. A comprehensive introduction to the best place to watch wildlife in South America, and beautifully illustrated throughout, Bradt's Pantanal Wildlife is the only portable book to cover all the main wildlife groups while focussing exclusively on the Pantanal."

A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil

Ber Van Perlo

2009

"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."

Avifauna Brasileira: Guia de Campo Avis Brasilis / The Avis Brasilis Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil

Tomas Sigrist

2 Volumes

Bilignual: Portuguese/English

2009

"A major bilingual work on Brazilian birds, presented in two volumes. The first contains species accounts with introductory text for each family, including species recorded in the border areas of surrounding countries. The second volume contains plates, distribution maps and habitat indicators, referenced from the first volume. Note that these volumes combine the information previously published in Guia de Campo: Aves Da Amazonia Brasileira / Birds of Amazonian Brazil and Guia de Campo: Aves do Brasil Oriental / Birds of Eastern Brazil."

Aves do Pantanal / Birds of the Pantanal

Edson Endrigo

2009

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Photographs of 100 species found in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil.

Iguazú Guía de Campo / Iguaçu Guía de Campo / Iguazú Field Guide

Marcelo Beccaceci

2009

Trilingual: Spanish / Portuguese / English

"The Iguazu field guide has more than 500 colour illustrations to identify birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, trees, bushes and other plants. Maps of the Argentine and Brazilian national parks. Detailed information on the natural history of the area."

Guia de Campo: Aves Da Amazonia Brasileira / Birds of Amazonian Brazil

Tomas Sigrist

Bilignual: Portuguese/English

2008

"This second volume brings together the constituent species of the Brazilian Amazonian avifauna and also encloses the ones occurring in transition areas among this biome and the savannah around the Central of Brazil. This guide is made up of 204 identification plates based upon specimen models which can be found in museums and private collections. The volume is arranged in an order that gathers the birds according to their morphological identity, which does not necessarily indicate their relationship. This makes both identification and localization in the book easier for beginners."

A Photographic Guide to Birds of Southern Brazil: Including the Pantanal and Atlantic Forest

Clive Byers

1st edition

2008

"South America's largest country is home to a great diversity of habitats and nearly 1,700 species of birds, of which more than 10 per cent are endemic. Brazil is a birder's paradise and an increasingly popular tourist destination. Areas such as the Pantanal and the Atlantic Forests are renowned for their birdwatching potential and boast such dramatic species as Hyacinth Macaw, Toco Toucan, King Vulture and Greater Rhea, not to mention an array of brightly coloured manikins, cotingas, hummingbirds and tanagers.Two hundred and fifty-two of southern Brazil's most interesting and spectacular birds are featured in this concise and easy-to-use guide, each species illustrated in full colour alongside key information on identification, habitat and distribution."

Aves do Cerrado / Birds of the Cerrado

Edson Endrigo

2008

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Photographs of 100 species found in the tropical savannah of the Cerrado in Brazil.

Globetrotter Wildlife Guide: Brazil

John Malathronas

2008

"This exciting guide aims to inspire and help travellers to plan and enjoy tours in Brazil's finest wildlife reserves. In addition to offering advice on planning your trip and discussing available options as well as park etiquette, the guide offers an overview of Brazil's natural environment and wildlife, including an informative gallery of species. Brazil's 10 best parks or groupings of parks are profiled, which includes an overview of the featured park, a brief history, a description by area of the park, and special features to look out for. The parks all offer breath-taking scenic beauty, game viewing, a range of accommodation and facilities as well as tours and walks or hikes."

Guia de Campo: Aves do Brasil Oriental / Birds of Eastern Brazil

Tomas Sigrist

Bilignual: Portuguese/English

2007

"This is a much-needed field guide to the birds of Eastern Brazil. The illustrations for the 1100 bird species are reproduced largely from the author's previous book Aves do Brasil. It includes the following information for each species: name in Portuguese, English and Latin; map of the distribution within South America; habitat and status."

Aves da Amazonia / Birds of the Amazon

Edson Endrigo

2007

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Photographs of 100 species found in the Amazon forest in Brazil.

All the Birds of Brazil

Deodato Souza

2nd edition

2006

"More than half of South America's 3,100 bird species are found in, and distributed more or less evenly between, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. First published in Portuguese in 1998 and then in English in 2003, this important field guide is now updated in its second edition and contains new and improved maps and new illustrations to accompany the updated narrative. Its concise and practical species accounts (ordered by family), good colour illustrations (by the author and Osmar Borges) and distribution maps make it indispensable for the serious visitor."

Aves do Brasil: Uma Visao Artistica / Birds of Brazil: An Artistic View

Tomas Sigrist

2nd edition

Bilignual: Portuguese/English

2006

"Birds of Brazil - An Artistic View, will dazzle ornithologists, nature lovers, conservationists and artists everywhere. This generous 672 page hardback is teeming with exquisite drawings and sketches, and boasts 160 illustrated pages of more than 1,800 Brazilian birds. These vibrant birds are featured in their full glory on lavish artistic plates, alongside fascinatingly clear views of the Brazilian natural landscape. The book contains more than 1,800 maps of geographical distribution, and even includes a CD of Brazilian bird song. The text includes species accounts, bird families, morphology and behaviour."

Aves da Mata Atlantica / Birds of the Atlantic Forest

Edson Endrigo

2006

Bilingual: Portuguese / English

Photographs of 100 species found in the Atlantic forest in Brazil.

Brazil: Amazon and Pantanal: Travellers' Wildlife Guides

David L. Pearson and Les Beletsky

2005

"The Brazilian Amazon region holds a very special place in the minds of the worldís nature lovers as a vast wilderness of tropical forest splendor; and southern Brazil's Pantanal area, an immense wetland, has a well-deserved reputation for its tremendous wildlife-viewing opportunities. Eco-travellers to these regions want to experience tropical forests and other stunning habitats and catch glimpses of exotic wildlife: toucans and parrots, monkeys and anteaters, frogs and toads, crocodiles and snakes. In this book is all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Brazil's magnificent animal and plant life."

The Atlantic Forest of South America: Biodiversity Status, Threats and Outlook

Editor: Carlos Galindo-Leal and Ibsen De Gusmao Camara

2003

"The Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina is one of the most devastated and most highly threatened ecosystem on the planet; less than eight percent of the original forest remains and is facing intense population pressures from all sides. The Atlantic Forest of South America presents a detailed assessment of the state of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest. Separate sections examine each of the three countries that are home to the forest, beginning with a brief overview that explores the dynamics of biodiversity loss in that country and outlines the topics to be addressed. Following the overview are individual chapters that analyze: current status and monitoring of biodiversity; conservation priorities and important species; socioeconomic drivers of deforestation; policy initiatives for conservation; the capacity of local institutions to provide solutions and implement effective conservation actions; A final section covers trinational issues. Chapters are written by local, regional, national, and international experts from a range of disciplines who are directly involved with conservation efforts in the region; collectively they draw on decades of study and personal experience to offer the most comprehensive examination available of the Atlantic Forest."

Cerrado Norte do Brasil / North Cerrado of Brazil

Editor: Larissa Barreto

Bilignual: Portuguese/English

2002

"Assesses the biodiversity of this tropical savannah to provide a basis for the protection of this valuable ecoregion. Individual chapters deal with geology, geomorphology, soil use evolution and hydrographic characteristics, limnology, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, vegetation, bees, ichtyofauna, herpetofauna, avifauna and mammals."

The Cerrados of Brazil: Ecology and Natural History of a Neotropical Savanna

Paulo S. Oliveira

2002

"The first detailed account in English of the natural history and ecology of the cerrado/savanna ecosystem. Given its extent and threatened status, the richness of its flora and fauna, and the lack of familiarity with cerrados at the international level, this is an important and timely work."

Illustrated Checklist: Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica

Martin R De La Pena and Maurice Rumboll

2001

"South America, though home to about one-third of the world's bird species and twice as many endemic families of birds as any other continent, has the world's sparsest population of birdwatchers. Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica illustrates and describes all the known species - more than 1,000 of them - in a vast swath of this underexplored birder's paradise, from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, and Uruguay to parts of Antarctica. Just some of the birds it covers are teals, tinamous, chachalacas, conebills, cuckoos, macaws, parakeets, parrots, penguins, nightjars, hummingbirds, ovenbirds, tyrants, and tanagers. The habitats range from torrid rainforests and cloudforests to grasslands, the world's driest desert, second highest mountain range, and ice caps. The 97 color plates depict each species' male in breeding plumage, with the female and young often shown as well. On the facing page are concise textual descriptions of each species, highlighting not only salient physical features and behavioral patterns but the calls or songs of each. Casual birders and ornithologists contemplating a journey to the region, or simply interested in a one-volume overview of its bird life, will not want to miss this book."

Brazil: Amazon and Pantanal: Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guides

David L. Pearson and Les Beletsky

2001

"Brazil: Amazon and Pantanal has all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Brazil's magnificent animal and plant life. The authors, professional biologists, selected illustrations of more than 500 of Brazil's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and fish - the species you are most likely to see. In one easy-to-carry, entertainingly written, beautifully illustrated book, you will have: identifying and location information on the most frequently seen animals; up-to-date information on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of the animals; information on Brazil's habitats and on the most common plants you will encounter; brief descriptions of the most frequently visited parks and reserves in the Amazon and Pantanal regions."

Illustrated Checklist: Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica

Martin R De La Pena and Maurice Rumboll

1998

"This field guide illustrates and describes 1140 species of bird found in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil and Uruguay. The text details what kind of habitat the birds are found in, key identification features and notes on the songs and calls of each species."

A Birders Guide to Bahia, North-Eastern Brazil

Dave Sargeant and J. Wall

A 77 page guide.

A Birders Field Checklist of the Birds of Brazil

Dave Sargeant

A 41 page checklist comprising 1700 species.

Birds in Brazil: A Natural History

Helmut Sick

1993

"Here is a substantially revised and updated English-language version of the only comprehensive, scientific treatment of Brazil's 1635 bird species. Written by the then dean of Brazilian ornithologists and published in Brazil in 1985, it not only lists every individual Brazilian species and provides detailed accounts for most of them but also gives an extensive treatment of the characteristics of each bird family found in the country. In addition, it analyzes the composition of Brazil's avifauna and relates it to the country's geography."

Birding Brazil: A Checklist and Site Guide

Bruce C. Forrester

A guide to 42 birdwatching sites plus area checklists and introductory chapter.

Birds of Southwestern Brazil

B. Dubs

1992

"A guide to the birds of the region, an area containing some of the richest and most important wetland sites in the world. 698 species are described, with English and Brazilian names, local distribution, ecology and range given. Most are depicted on colour plates, which are stylised, giving the key colour and identification features."

Ornithological Gazetteer Of Brazil: M-Z

Raymond A. Paynter and Melvin A. Traylor, Jr.

1991

A gazetteer and bibliography.

Ornithological Gazetteer Of Brazil: A-M

Raymond A. Paynter and Melvin A. Traylor, Jr.

1991

A gazetteer and bibliography.

Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: Part 2, Formicariidae through Corvidae

William Belton

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

1985

From the opening section: "This is the second half of a single document. Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Part 1, was published as article 4 of volume 178 of the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Part 1 included, in addition to species accounts from Rheidae through Fumariidae, a description of Rio Grande do Sul, an analysis of its avifauna, a history of ornithological investigation there, comments on conservation priorities and ornithological opportunities, and an introduction to the species accounts."

Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: Part 1, Rheidae through Furnariidae

William Belton

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

1984

From the abstract: "Sporadic scientific collecting activity has occurred in Rio Grande do Sul since the early 1820s, but this is the first attempt at a comprehensive survey of the avifauna of the state. Information obtained from literature, museums, other observers, and my own fieldwork extending from 1970 to 1983 is compiled in individual accounts for each species. Data are usually provided on distribution, relative abundance, migration, habitat, field marks, size, soft part colors, voice, breeding, behavior, and museum specimens. A number ofsuggestions are made for future ornithological investigation. Conservation action is urged to save such favored sites as the espinilho parkland and the Lagoa do Peixe, and to protect additional roosting areas of the menaced Red-Spectacled Parrot, Amazona pretrei."

Observations of Birds of Southeastern Brazil

Margaret H. Mitchell

1957

258 pages with photographs and maps.

Notes on Birds observed at Para

E.L. Layard

2 colour plate (Picolaptes layardi / Thamnophilus simplex): J.G. Keulemans

Ibis: Volume 15, Issue 4, pages 374-396

1873

Opening lines:

"The collection on which these notes are founded was got together chiefly in my early morning walks, from sunrise to 9 o’clock or a little later. It was commenced at the end of June 1872, and therefore only includes such birds m I could get during the dry season; this terminates in December. Last year our rains began about the 15th January, and up to the date on which I write (January 28th) have bcen pretty continuous. Some tine days have certainly intervened ; and then the temperature has been lovely, and the early mornings in the forest inexpressibly delightful. Now, however, the early mornings break with the sun behind clouds, and the forest is wet and heavy with mist, while underfoot it is mire up to one's ankles. Of course in case of the least brush through the bushes in search of a wounded bird, you are drenched from head to foot."

A Selection Of The Birds Of Brazil And Mexico: The Drawings

William Swainson

1841

78 full page colour plates originally produced for publications that were not completed. 68 plates are of Brazilian birds and 10 of Mexican birds.