Birds of Mexico & Northern Central America: Comprehensive Field Guide for Birdwatching & Wildlife Photography

We selected this book at the recommendation of our Mexican bird guide. We ordered the book six months in advance so I'd have time to study the book and develop lists (based on range maps and frequency info) of birds we are are most lifely to see. The bird guide warned us this was not a typical field guide, not easy to carry in a pocket or backpack. It's large, heavy, and has a lot of detailed information. But on the plus side, it has the very best pictures of the birds, very detailed range maps, and an immense arount of information.The guide explained that he took his book apart. He carries the 71 pages of beautiful color plates with brief information (English and Latin names, length in inches and cm, and descriptive information to help in identification. The rest of the 850 page book, he has put tegether and leaves it at home or in his car. This seemed very practical. I decided I'd use this book to study the birds and rely on his colored plates and well as the guide when I have difficulty identifying a bird.The black and white range maps communicate a great deal of helpful information. They indicate Permanent Residents, Breeding Residents (You should know these birds are usually gone the rest of the year), winter or summer residents, former residents, transient visitors, non-breeding visitors, location of breeding colonies, etc.Most of the accompanying information is quite clear.ID (identifcation) describes the bird in detail including differences in male and female, breeding plumage, and juvenile birds. It also includes a section describing the birds voice, and a section describing its preferred habitat incluing altitude.SS (Similar Species) helps you separate this bird in relation to similar species that might be in the area.SD (Status and Distribution) Status here means frequency. The distribution clarifies the frequency in various parts of the range map. For example, the bird might be a permanent resident over a wide area, but common in parts of that area and rare in other parts. But I must warn you. This section takes some serious effort to translate. You must first read introduction to the book and study the books. It includes some information as "Hepatica: C to F resident (1000-3000 m to 150 m in Ithmus)from Son and Coah to N. Chis:" and that's only half of the sentence. Abbreviations used for Mexican states are familiar to Mexicans but confusing to the rest of us. It's like saying NY - FL in th United States. A long introduction explains the abbreviations and provides a number of helpful maps.There's also a long section in the back of the book,listing more important island groups, with symbols showing what birds you might find there with frequency and time of year.If you are looking for a simple, light weight bird guide to carry with you in the field. This is NOT the book you want.If you are a serious birder, looking for the kind of detailed information this book provides, and for the best possible pictures, I feel certain this book is exactly the right book for you.