A comprehensive field guide to the magnificent birdlife of Costa Rica.

Graced with bounteous natural beauty, Costa Rica has become a popular destination for ecologically aware travellers from all over the world. Perhaps the country's most remarkable draw is its stunning birdlife, which is one of the largest and most diverse of any country in the world. The shimmering quetzals, brightly coloured macaws and spectacular toucans that populate tourism posters only begin to hint at the magnificent avian diversity to be found throughout this small country.

Now in its second edition, the 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. 903 species in total are included on 174 stunning colour plates by artist Robert Dean. Corresponding to each species' illustration is a written account on the facing page, covering the unique field marks to look for that will distinguish each species from similar ones, along with information about status, distribution and vocalisation. Most species accounts include a map indicating its distribution within Costa Rica.

This pocket-friendly yet authoritative field guide is an essential companion for anyone visiting this astoundingly bird-rich corner of Central America.

Richard Garrigues is a naturalist and author who has been birding since the age of sixteen, when a close encounter with a Black-and-white Warbler walking up a tree trunk just a few feet away from him in suburban New Jersey made a lasting impression. He has lived in Costa Rica since 1981 and has become one of its best-known bird-tour leaders.

Robert Dean is an ornithologist and artist specialising on the birds of Central America. Dean has illustrated field guides to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. A former musician, Dean rose to prominence as a member of the British new wave band Japan from 1975 to 1981 before moving to Monteverde, Costa Rica and pivoting from music to exquisite bird art.