On this page

This page lists books about birds and birdwatching in Mexico.

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

North America

North America

Central America

Central America

For bird books about Central American countries see:

Belize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama

Raptors of Mexico and Central America

William S. Clark & N. John Schmitt

2017

"The essential field guide to the raptors of Mexico and Central America Raptors are among the most challenging birds to identify in the field due to their bewildering variability of plumage, flight silhouettes, and behavior. Raptors of Mexico and Central America is the first illustrated guide to the region's 69 species of raptors, including vagrants. It features 32 stunning color plates and 213 color photos, and a distribution map for each regularly occurring species. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, age-related plumages, status and distribution, subspecies, molt, habitats, behaviors, potential confusion species, and more. Raptors of Mexico and Central America is the essential field guide to this difficult bird group and the ideal travel companion for anyone visiting this region of the world."

A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert

Editor: Mark Alan Dimmitt, Patricia Wentworth Comus, Linda M Brewer

2nd edition

2015

"With a Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, this book takes readers deep into its vast expanse, looking closely at the relationships of plants and animals with the land and people, through time and across landscapes. In accessible language, more than forty scientists and/or naturalists examine the region's biodiversity, geology, weather, plants, and animals (from invertebrates to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), as well as potential threats to the species and habitats. The text is supplemented throughout with anecdotes, essays, photographs, maps, diagrams, and 450 finely rendered drawings. This new edition adds chapters on the Sky Islands, Sea of Cortez, desert pollinators, and conservation issues. Taxonomic nomenclature has been updated and new color plates and figures have been added. This comprehensive natural history, like the original edition, will surely become an invaluable companion for nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers, hikers, students, naturalists, and anyone interested in the desert Southwest."

Mexico: Pacific Coast Birds

Rainforest Publications

2014

A 14 page laminated fold-out guide to the birds of Baja California, the Sea of Cortez, and along the Pacific Coast of Mexico

Mexico Birds: Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche

Rainforest Publications

2012

"A laminated fold-out field guide to the birds of the Mexican states of Quintana Roo, Yucátan, and Campeche. For each bird, English, Spanish and scientific names are given, as well as length in centimetres. When folded, Mexico Birds is approximately 9 cm by 22 cm and can easily fit into your pocket."

A Field Guide to the Southeast Coast & Gulf of Mexico: Coastal Habitats, Seabirds, Marine Mammals, Fish, & Other Wildlife

Noble S. Proctor & Patrick J. Lynch

2011

"This superb book, with its unique focus on the entire marine coastal environment, is the most comprehensive and up-to-date field guide available on the southeastern Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast. Not just for beachgoers, the book is essential for birders, whale watchers, fishers, boaters, scuba divers and snorkelers, and shoreline visitors. Features of the guide include: entries on 619 coastal and ocean species; more than 1,100 color illustrations; 450 up-to-date range maps; and overviews of key ecological communities, including mangroves, salt marshes, beaches, sand dunes, and coral reefs; special attention to threatened and endangered species; and discussions of environmental issues, including such catastrophic events as Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon blowout."

Birds and Birding in Central Oaxaca

John M. Forcey

2009

"Annotated species list with English and scientific names, seasonal distribution, breeding, habitat, elevation, subspecies, endemism, and dates for migratory birds. Includes a detailed list of birding sites."

Bird Songs of Mexico: Yucatan Peninsula Volume 1

Antonio Celis-Murillo, Fernando Gonzalez-Garcia and Danny Meltzer

2008

An audio CD of the song of over 90 species found on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Birds of the US-Mexico Borderland: Distribution, Ecology, and Conservation

Editors: J.M. Ruth, T. Brush, and D.J. Krueper

Cooper Ornithological Society

2008

Contents:

• Additions to the Breeding Avifauna of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas
• Avifaunal Changes in Big Bend National Park, Texas
• Distribution and Status of Breeding Landbirds in Northern Sonora Mexico
• The Distribution and Status of Royal Terns on The Pacific Coast of Southern California and Baja California, Mexico
• Habitat Use of Wintering Bird Communities in Sonora, Mexico: The Importance of Riparian Habitats
• Population Trends of Yuma Clapper Rails in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico
• Densities, Species Richness and Habitat Relationships of the Avian Community in the Colorado River, Mexico
• Influence of Desertification on Site Occupancy by Grassland and Shrubland Birds
• During the Non-Breeding Period in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert
• Winter Diets and Seed Selection of Granivorous Birds in Southwestern New Mexico
• Distribution and Abundance of Breeding Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) in The Southwestern United States: Past, Present, and Future
• Seasonal Passerine Migratory Movements over the Arid Southwest
• Applied Conservation Planning and Implementation in the US-Mexico Borderlands

Mexico Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species

James Kavanagh

Waterford Press

2007

A 12 page fold-out guide to 164 commoner species.

Field Guide to the Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of Western Mexico

Petr Myska

Bilingual: Spanish/English

2007

"This guide contains the vast majority of the conspicuous animals of the region. There are 160 species in this guide and a total of 325 full-color photos. The guide is extremely easy to use. The book is completely bilingual (English and Spanish). The book commences with a brief introduction to the study area, its geography, climate and ecosystems. Chapters dedicated to the four groups of fauna (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) follow. Each chapter begins with an introduction followed by photographic plates that depict conspicuous species of the study area. All photos were taken by the author himself and with few exceptions, show animals in their natural habitat under completely natural conditions. Each species is described by both its common and scientific names and also by a set of icons that illustrate the species characteristics, such as its habits, diet, preferred habitat, protection status, ect. Color bands on the outer edge of each species plate indicate one of the three principal habitat types (Ocean, Coast and Islands, Freshwater, Forest and Gardens) where this particular species can be observed most frequently. Silhouette thumbs on the plates edges portray a typical member of each group of fauna, making browsing the guide more efficient. The final chapter of the book is dedicated to the conservation issues inside the study area."

Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America

Ber Van Perlo

2006

(Same text and plates as the Princeton book below)

"The essential guide to identifying every species of bird you may see in this area, for tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. 'Birds of Mexico and Central America' is the only field guide to illustrate and describe every species of bird you may see in Central America from Mexico to Panama, including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Features over 1,500 species. Text gives information on key identification features, habitat, and songs and calls. All plumages for each species are illustrated, including those of males, females and juveniles The 98 colour plates appear opposite their relevant text for quick and easy reference. Distribution maps are included, showing where each species can be found and how common it is, to further aid identification. This comprehensive and highly portable guide is a must for all birdwatchers visiting the region."

Birds of Mexico and Central America

Ber Van Perlo

Princeton University Press

2006

(Same text and plates as the Collins book above)

"Birds of Mexico and Central America is the only field guide to illustrate and describe every species of bird in Central America from Mexico to Panama, including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Written and illustrated by Ber van Perlo, this handsome work covers more than 1,500 species. Information on key identification features, habitats, songs, and calls is included as are distribution maps showing each species' location and prevalence. Enhanced with ninety-eight color plates, the book provides illustrations of all plumages for the adult males and females as well as the juveniles of each species. Illustrations appear opposite their relevant text for quick and easy reference."

Birds of Mexico: MP3 Sound Collection

Peter Boesman

2006

An MP3-CD with 723 recordings of over 650 species that are found in Mexico.

Travellers' Wildlife Guides: Southern Mexico

Les Beletsky

2006

"This guide covers the Cancun Region, Yucatan Peninsula, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Tabasco. It provides the information you need to find, identify, and learn about the region's magnificent animal life. It also includes colour illustrations of about 550 of the common fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals."

Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Conservation in Northern Mexico

Editor: Jean-Luc E. Cartron, Gerardo Ceballos, Richard Stephen Felger

2005

"This book describes the biodiversity and biogeography of northern Mexico, documents the biological importance of regional ecosystems and the impacts of human land use on the conservation status of plants and wildlife. It should become the standard source document for the conservation status of species and ecosystems in this region, which is of unusual biological interest because of its high biodiversity and highly varied landscape and biological zonation."

Desert Wetlands

Lucian Niemeyer and Thomas Lowe Fleischner

2005

"In Desert Wetlands a distinguished photographer and a passionate naturalist document sites in the American Southwest and Mexico that are gauges to the environment. The wetlands included are Cuatro Cienegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico, the San Pedro River in Arizona, the Escalante River in Utah, the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, the playas and wetlands in Arizona, the Mohave Desert in California, and the Big Bend National Park in Texas."

Where to Watch Birds in Central America and the Caribbean

Nigel Wheatley and David Brewer

2002

"This guide covers the best birding sites in Central America and the Caribbean. In a format familiar to readers of this very popular series, each site is considered in terms of 'Habitat', 'Timing', 'Access' and 'Calendar', allowing birders to plan excursions to maximise the chances of getting the best out of each site and each region. The book includes detailed maps of the larger sites, plus general maps of the regions covered, and it is illustrated with line drawings."

Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean

Nigel Wheatley and David Brewer

2002

"Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean is the sixth and latest in a series that will ultimately cover the whole world. Including many of the most alluring and rewarding birding destinations anywhere, this is the first one-volume guide to this vast region. It is the ideal port of call for steadfast birders and nature-minded wayfarers alike. Around 430 species of birds have been recorded in the Caribbean, of which an amazing 159 are endemic. Central America has a species list of about 1,350, with some 340 endemics. This book treats over 215 individual sites in detail, covering every Central American country, Mexico, and all of the popular Caribbean islands. Detailed site accounts enable birders to maximize their chances of finding the special birds of each region, from the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal of Costa Rica's cloud forest to the threatened Imperial Parrot of Dominica. Endemic species for each site and region are listed separately, and the accounts include practical information on accommodation, transport, safety, and the timing of visits. Other interesting wildlife is also listed for each site, and numerous site maps and line drawings further enhance the text. The information presented is succinct, yet detailed enough for readers to work out their own itineraries with a minimum of time and effort."

The Road to El Cielo: Mexico's Forest in the Clouds

Fred and Marie S. Webster

Drawings: Nancy McGowan

University of Texas Press

2002

"Hidden high in the Sierra de Guatemala mountain range of north-eastern Mexico in the state of Tamaulipas is the northernmost tropical cloud forest of the western hemisphere. Within its humid oak-sweetgum woodlands, tropical and temperate species of plants and animals mingle in rare diversity, creating a mecca for birders and other naturalists. Fred and Marie Webster first visited Rancho del Cielo, cloud forest home of Canadian immigrant Frank Harrison, in 1964, drawn by the opportunity to see such exotic birds as tinamous, trogons, motmots, and woodcreepers only 500 miles from their Austin, Texas, home. In this book, they recount their many adventures as researchers and tour leaders from their base at Rancho del Cielo, interweaving their reminiscences with a history of the region and of the struggle by friends from both sides of the border to have some 360,000 acres of the mountain declared an area protected from exploitation - El Cielo Biosphere Reserve."

Birds of the Baja California Peninsula: Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy

Editor: Richard A. Erickson and Steve N. G. Howell

American Birding Association

2001

Eight papers dealing with biogeography, taxonomy, status and distribution of the birds of Baja California.

Mexican Birds

Roger Tory Peterson and Edward L. Chalif

Houghton Mifflin

1999

"With more than 700 color paintings arranged by families for quick comparison of similar species, and with detailed information on range, habitat, size, and voice, this field guide describes and illustrates 1,038 species of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador."

Where to Watch Birds in Mexico

Steve N.G. Howell

1999

"Mexico is one of the best birdwatching destinations in the world. The country's species list comprises a wide range of resident birds and many migrants from South and Central America. This guide covers over 100 birdwatching sites from Baja California to the Yucatan Peninsula. Over 950 species can be seen including virtually all the endemics and regional specialities. as with other guides in this series. This book also provides information on travel, accessibility, location of species and when it is best to see them. There are also suggested itineraries for birding holidays in Mexico. Steve Howell co-authored A Guide to the Birds of Mexico."

A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico

Steve N.G. Howell

1999

"With a rich variety of stunning avifauna, Mexico provides the first taste of the Neotropics for many birders. At last here is a guide to Mexico's best birdwatching sites, from Baja California to the Yucatan Peninsula. Steve N. G. Howell, coauthor of the widely acclaimed A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, has selected over 100 sites where birders may see more than 950 species, including virtually all of the endemics and regional specialties. Useful for both the business traveler in Mexico City with only a morning to spare and the serious birder planning a three-month trip across the country, this indispensable book tells where to go and what to look for."

Birder's Mexico

Roland H. Wauer

1999

"Since 1966, Roland H. Wauer has traveled annually to see his own favorite attractions in Mexico: native birds and their remote habitats. From his adventures he has written an indispensable companion for anyone visiting Mexico with an interest in birding and the country's spectacular natural environment. He introduces us to Mexico's unsung diversity, from its arid lowlands and coastal islands to the forested uplands and humid jungles, once home of the ancient Mayans. Originally published under the title Naturalist's Mexico, this handy guide features a new and updated introduction. Its thirty-nine black-and-white photographs provide further reason to explore the flora and fauna that thrive off the beaten path."

Checklist: Birds of Mexico and Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras

Bill Principe

1999

Tropical Mexico

Les Beletsky

Academic Press

1999

"Most Ecotravellers to southern Mexico - Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Tabasco - want to experience tropical forests and other stunning habitats, as well as catch a glimpse of exotic wildlife, including toucans, parrots, hummingbirds, hawks, monkeys, anteaters, frogs, toads, crocodiles and snakes. In this book is all the information you need to find, identify and learn about this region's magnificent animal life. The author visited national parks and nature reserves, discussed wildlife with local and international experts as well as veteran tour leaders, and then selected for color illustrations more than 500 of the most common fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals - the species you are most likely to see. In one easy-to-carry, entertainingly written, beautifully illustrated book, you will have a constant companion on your journey."

A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas: Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador

Ernest Preston Edwards

3rd edition

1998

"More than a thousand species of birds occur in Mexico and in the adjacent countries of Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Of these birds, a unique mixture of temperate-zone and tropical species, less than half are found in the United States, and many cross the border only a short distance into the southwestern states. This practical field guide contains detailed annotations for easy identification of all of Mexico's regular species. The descriptions include the English, Spanish, and Latin names; a general range statement for each bird, along with its specific occurrences in the region; its typical habitat(s) and abundance; and its physical characteristics, including size and plumage. Excellent color plates with drawings of over 850 species make this the most fully illustrated guide to the region. Published by the author in 1972 and 1989, this convenient take-along guide is now totally revised, updated, and re-designed to provide handy assistance and enjoyment to professional ornithologists and amateur birders alike."

The Birds Of Sonora

Stephen M. Russell and Gale Monson

University of Arizona Press

1998

Site Guides: La Ruta Maya: A Guide to the Best Birding Locations of the Yucatan, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador

Dennis W Rogers

1997

A guide to birdswatching sites in the Yucatan, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador."

A Checklist Of The Birds of Mexico

Steve N.G. Howell

1996

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America

Steve N.G. Howell & Sophie Webb

1995

"A field guide to the 1,070 bird species, including North American migrants, found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and western Nicaragua. More than 180 species are endemic to this region. The book details appearance, voice, habitat, behaviour (including nests and eggs) and distribution. Range maps are included with species accounts, and introductory essays give essential background information, with special appendices summarizing useful information on the avifaunas of various offshore Pacific and Caribbean islands. Includes 71 colour plates and 39 black-and-white drawings.

Contents: Area covered; Geography and bird distribution; Climate and habitat; Migration; History of ornithology in Mexico; Conservation; Birding in Mexico and northern Central America; Using this book; Taxonomy; Molt and plumage; Outline of the species accounts; Family and Species Accounts; Appendices on extinct species, hypothetical occurrence, birds of Pacific Islands and Caribbean Islands, and additional species of eastern Honduras; Bibliography."

The Birds of Mexico City

R. G. Wilson and H. Ceballos-Lascurain

1993

An annotated checklist of 320 species together with information on birdwatching sites.

Birding Mexico, A Guide to Selected Sites

J. Curson

1991

A 70 page guide to birdwatching sites.

Mexican Birds

Roger Tory Peterson and Edward L. Chalif

Houghton Mifflin

1990

"With more than 700 colour paintings arranged by families for quick comparison of similar species, and with detailed information on range, habitat, size, and voice, this field guide describes and illustrates 1,038 species of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador."

A Distributional Survey of the Birds of the Mexican State of Oaxaca

Laurence C. Binford

American Ornithologists' Union

1989

From the introduction:

The Mexican state of Oaxaca supports an avifauna of 680 species, exceeding the 636 (based on my taxonomy) listed for Chiapas (Alvafez del Toro 1971), 661 for Honduras (Monroe 1968), and 662 for Guatemala (Land 1970). This high total is a reflection of the state's geographic position and great diversity of habitats. Oaxaca encompasses portions of both drainage slopes and elevations from sea level to 1l,138 ft. It includes the southernmost extension of the Mexican tableland and thus represents the limits of breeding and wintering distributions for many northern birds, especially those inhabiting pine-oak forest or arid subtropical scrub, whereas the Sierra Madre de Chiapas is the northernmost locality for a number of Central American species. The Sierras de Miahuatlfin and Yucuyacua are isolated ranges that have given rise to at least one species and several races and harbor other forms endemic to western Mexico. The low Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a major barrier to highland species, an important corridor for contact between the breeding birds of the Atlantic and Pacific lowlands, and an avenue for migrants moving between North and South America. The Atlantic and Pacific lowlands support the large avifaunas of tropical evergreen and tropical deciduous forests, respectively, and are important wintering areas for North American migrants. The Pacific Ocean adds a pelagic element, and the coast provides the mangrove swamps, mud flats, and open shallow waters used by many other aquatic birds.

100 Common Birds Of The Yucatan Peninsula

Barbara MacKinnon Vda. de Montes

1989

A Bird Watcher's Adventures in Tropical America

Alexander F. Skutch

Corrie Herring Hooks Series

University of Texas Press

1978

"A well-known naturalist and bird-watcher tells of some of his more memorable experiences during journeys through the wilds of Mexico and Central and South America in the 1930s and early 1940s."

Portraits Of Mexican Birds

George Miksch Sutton

1975

Full colour plates of 50 species - one species per plate.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico

Ernest Preston Edwards

1972

300 pages with 24 colour plates.

Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America

Louie Irby Davis

1972

264 pages.

At A Bend In A Mexican River

George Miksch Sutton

Illustrations: George Miksch Sutton

Photographs: Olin Sewall Pettingill Jr., Robert B. Lea, and William B. Heed

1972

Birds of Northeastern Mexico: An Annotated Checklist

Louie Irby Davis

1971

71 pages.

Finding Birds In Western Mexico: A Guide To The States Of Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit

Peter Alden

1969

A guide to birdwatching sites plus colour plates depicting over 80 species.

Finding Birds In Mexico

Ernest Preston Edwards

1968

282 pages.

Distributional Check-List of the Birds of Mexico, Part II

Alden H. Miller, Herbert Friedmann, Ludlow Griscom, Robert T. Moore

Pacific Coast Avifauna Number 33

Cooper Ornithological Society

1957

From the introduction:

"Part I of the Distributional Check-list of the Birds of Mexico was published in 1950 as Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 29 and encompassed, in the sequence of Wetmore's 'Systematic Classification for Birds of the World,' the families from the Tinamidae to and including the Trochilidae. The present part II covers all the remaining bird groups. In the introduction to part I the plan and organization of the undertaking were described. Since, however, part II appears as a separate publication, these matters need to be reviewed for the benefit of users of this final section of the list. Moreover, certain additions should be recorded in procedure and participation which inevitably took place in the course of our work of the last eight years. The present check-list, we emphasize anew, is the first detailed list for Mexico, and as such has many inadequacies and leaves many questions unresolved. Its greatest value should be as a point of departure and a stimulus to release into print countless additional significant data hitherto lying dormant, or even buried, in various museums and notebooks. The present group of author-compilers feels, in a very real sense, that the rapidity with which the Mexican Check-list becomes out of date will be a measure of its usefulness in advancing knowledge, It should spur workers to concentrate on revealed gaps in our knowledge of Mexican birds and their distribution."

Birds of Pine-Oak Woodland in Southern Arizona and Adjacent Mexico

Joe T. Marshall Jr

Cooper Ornithological Society

1957

From the introduction:

"Woodland of mixed pines and oaks is familiar mountain scenery in Mexico, whence it extends into southeastern Arizona along with many kinds of Mexican birds. This woodland occupies a belt from about 5500 to 6500 feet in elevation between encinal (oak woodland) below and ponderosa pine forest above. It combines tree forms of both these zones so as to make a smooth transition between them. The present report compares the numbers of each species of breeding bird in a series of stations, within pine-oak woodland, which were visited in the summers of 1951, 1952, and 1953. These sites extend from the Pinaleno and Santa Catalina mountains in Arizona south into central Sonora and to the Sierra Madre Occidental of northwestern Chihuahua. The stations were selected in relatively flat terrain in well-developed pine-oak woodland where there was water and a good place to camp. The stations differed in the following ways which affected the local occurrence of birds: steepness, whether on a ridge or in a canyon, amount of water and riparian vegetation, stature and spacing of trees, amount of grass, and proximity to coniferous forest."

Birds of Mexico: A Guide For Field Identification

Emmet Reid Blake

1953

"Birds of Mexico fills the need for a comprehensive and authoritative guide to Mexican bird life. Written in a simple, direct style and using non-technical terms, it accomplishes its prime purpose - the sight identification of birds in their natural habitat - in a manner that will be useful to the novice and specialist alike. The only complete guide to the field identification of Mexican birds, it treats all of the 967 species and 2, 000-odd geographical varieties that constitute so colorful and interesting a part of the landscape of Mexico (including Lower California) and its adjacent waters and associated islands."

Birds from the State of Veracruz, Mexico

George H. Lowery and Walter W. Dalquest

1951

Mexican Birds

George Miksch Sutton

1951

Subtitled "First impressions based upon an ornithological expedition to Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila with an Appendix briefly describing Mexican birds"

Distributional Check-List of the Birds of Mexico, Part I

Herbert Friedmann, Ludlow Griscom, Robert T. Moore

Cooper Ornithological Society

1950

From the introduction:

"A distributional check-list of the birds of Mexico has long been a desideratum of all ornithologists concerned with the systematics and distribution of North American birds. The richness of the Mexican avifauna and the widely scattered disposition of the material preserved in collections have served to discourage attempts in the past to supply such a compilation. The present check-list is, therefore, a first one, and like all such pioneer ventures, is bound to serve not only as a summation of present recorded knowledge, but also as a stimulus to release into print countless additional data hitherto lying dormant, or even buried, in various repositories and notebooks. The compilers feel, in a very real sense, that the rapidity with which, and the extent to which, this check-list becomes out of date will be a measure of its usefulness in advancing knowledge, just as its continuing usefulness for what it contains will determine its place in the working library of students of American birds. Its greatest service to ornithology may be as a spur to workers to concentrate on revealed gaps in our knowledge of Mexican birds and their distribution."

New Birds From Mexico And Panama

Ludlow Griscom

American Museum of Natural History

1928

Opening lines: "The Department of birds has recently received a collection, of some 800 specimens made by Mr. Rex R. Benson during the past summer at Almirante and Boca del Toro on the Chiriqui Lagoon, on the Caribbean slope of western Panama, just south of the Costa Rican border. This collection, in connection with the previous one made by Benson and Gaffney on the Rio Calovevora much farther east, throws important light on previously unknown factors in distribution."

Additions To The Ornithology Of Guadalupe Island

Walter E. Bryant

1887

Opening lines:

"The avifauna of Guadalupe Island was entirely unknown to science until 1875, when Dr. Edward Palmer, in the interest of the U. S. National Museum, made a collection of seventy-two specimens embracing eight species of land birds and one water bird, found dead on the island. The results of this work were published by Mr. Robert Ridgway. In 'The Birds of Guadalupe Island,' Mr. Ridgway remarks that 'the land birds contained in the collection from Guadalupe embrace only eight species, so that the fauna of the island is by no means fully represented; indeed, the collector observed a humming-bird, two kinds of owls, and a hawk, of which no specimens were obtained. This is to be regretted, since most, if not all, of these would doubtless have proved new. It is altogether likely, too, that other species escaped notice, and thus remain to be discovered; a rich field is therefore left to the future explorer'."

On a Collection of Birds from the Island of Cozumel

Osbert Salvin

Ibis: Volume 27, Issue 2, pages 185-194

1885

Opening lines:

"The collection of birds described below was formed by Mr. E. C. J. Devis, who, after residing for some time in Northern Yucatan, visited Cozumel before returning to England. The centre of Cozumel is situated in about lat. 20' 30' N., long. 86' 50' W. The island lies off the east coast of Yucatan, a little to the southward of Cape Catoche. It is an irregular oval in shape, about twenty-five miles long and ten wide, and is separated from the mainland by a channel about ten miles wide."

Catalogue Of A Collection Of Birds Made On The Island Of Cozumel, Yucatan, By The Naturalists Of The U. S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross, Capt. Z.L. Tanner, Commander

Robert Ridgway

Proceedings of the United States National Museum

1885

Opening lines:

" In a pamphlet of four pages, entitled Description of some New Species of Birds from Cozumel Island, Yucatan, published at Washington, February 2G, 1885, the writer gave brief diagnoses of thirteen new species, and promised a full report upon the collection to be published in the Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum. On account of pressure of other duties, it has not been found practicable to make the report as complete as might be desired, or to present it sooner; but it is believed that on many accounts it will be better to publish it in its present form, rather than secure greater elaboration at the expense of additional delay."

Biologia Centrali-Americana

Aves

Volume I-III: Text

Volume IV: Plates

Authors: Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin

Colour plates: J.G. Keulemans

1879-1904

From the introduction:

The enumeration of the Aves of Mexico and Central America was commenced in September 1879 by the late Osbert Salvin and myself, and is now completed in four Volumes, three of text and one of plates. Salvin's long-continued ill-health, and sudden death in 1898, greatly retarded the conclusion of the Third Volume, which was subsequently finished by me with the assistance of Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe and Mr. Ogilvie-Grant. On this account, too, it has been decided to abandon all idea of a Supplement, and to close the volumes as they stand. The critical examination of the large amount of additional material that has come to hand during the progress of publication, and the analysis of the extensive literature on the subject issued in recent years, could only have been dealt with satisfactorily with the assistance of Salvin himself, and I am reluctantly compelled to leave this portion of the subject untouched. It may be noted, however, that the additions are mainly amongst the Passeres, which were completed in 1892. The physical features of the whole region are described in the Preface to the Lepidoptera Ehopalocera, concluded in 1901, and in the Appendix to the Botany, published in 1887, and need not be again repeated here. This Introduction will therefore be chiefly devoted to some remarks on geographical distribution, to the journeys made by us in Central America, and the sources from which our material has been obtained, concluding with a Table showing the distribution of the Families and Species as arranged in this work. To make this latter as complete as possible, the additional countries whence specimens were subsequently received are, however, specially indicated.

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.