Birds of Western Ecuador: A Photographic Guide

Western Ecuador is famed for its astonishingly diverse birdlife, from colorful tanagers and outrageous toucans to more difficult groups like hummingbirds, raptors, tyrant flycatchers, and ovenbirds (“furnarids”). Birds of Western Ecuador: A Photographic Guide covers 946 species that can be found to the west of the continental divide that runs almost through the center of the country, along the Andean mountain chain. A small number of very rare species, pelagic species and eastern species that “spill over” into the west of the country are not illustrated, although they are all mentioned in an Appendix.

Until the publication of this book, the field guide usually taken to Ecuador (and still an invaluable book to take along) is The Birds of Ecuador by Robert Ridgely and Paul Greenfield (2001). This is, however, about twice the size of this new photographic guide, and hence many birders may now prefer to carry the new photographic guide with them in the field and use Ridgely and Greenfield back at base, or perhaps dispense with it altogether if visiting only the western part of the country.

The usual drawback of a photographic guide, when compared to one illustrated by paintings, is that they tend not to cover all variations in plumage related to sex and age. In this case, however, with nearly 1,500 stunning illustrations, all selected to show important identification features, the observer should be able to identify the great majority of the birds they encounter. What is incredible is that even the rarest and most difficult birds are depicted with high-resolution photos, such as Tawny-Faced Quail, Banded Ground-Cuckoo, Black-Chested Puffleg, Spot-fronted Swift, Rufous-Crowned Antpitta, Star-chested Treerunner, Greater Scythebill, Choco Vireo, Yellow-Green Bush-Tanager, Blue-Whiskered Tanager, Golden-Chested Tanager, Pale-Headed Brush-Finch, and Tanager Finch.

This book is much more than a compilation of high-quality photographs – it is a true field guide. This is not surprising since the two authors are both leading experts on Ecuador’s birds, and Nick Athanas is a leading bird guide for Tropical Birding. Hence, apart from the photos, the book includes detailed range maps (opposite the relevant photos), elevational data, habitat descriptions, and, where relevant, taxonomic notes. There is also an introductory chapter that includes summaries and photographs of the habitats mentioned in the species accounts.

There's nothing like a flock of Andean tanagers.

Recommendation

Packing such detailed and accurate information, Birds of Western Ecuador: A Photographic Guide is an essential book for any keen birder visiting Ecuador, and I for one am looking forward to the Eastern Ecuador photographic guide that one hopes will follow in a few years’ time.

– Reviewed by Frank Lambert