New Title

1) Last, Peter R. et al. (editors). Rays of the World. 2016. Comstock/Cornell. Hardbound: 790 pages. Price: $149.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Rays are among the largest fishes and evolved from sharklike ancestors nearly 200 million years ago. They share with sharks many life history traits: all species are carnivores or scavengers; all reproduce by internal fertilization; and all have similar morphological and anatomical characteristics, such as skeletons built of cartilage. Rays of the World is the first complete pictorial atlas of the world's ray fauna and includes information on many species only recently discovered by scientists while undertaking research for the book. It includes all 26 families and 633 valid named species of rays, but additional undescribed species exist for many groups.
     Rays of the World features a unique collection of paintings of all living species by Australian natural history artist Lindsay Marshall, compiled as part of a multinational research initiative, the Chondrichthyan Tree of Life Project. Images sourced from around the planet were used by the artist to illustrate the fauna. This comprehensive overview of the world’s ray fauna summarizes information such as general identifying features and distributional information about these iconic, but surprisingly poorly known, fishes. It will enable readers to gain a better understanding of the rich diversity of rays and promote wider public interest in the group.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with a serious interest in rays!

New Title

1) Freile, Juan and Robin Restall. Birds of Ecuador (Helm Field Guides). 2018. Bloomsbury/Helm. Paperback: 656 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: This up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the birds of mainland Ecuador is a valuable resource for anyone exploring the mountains, forests and wetlands of this incredibly bird-rich country. With thousands of beautiful and detailed paintings, accompanied by concise descriptions and accurate maps, this is an indispensable guide to bird identification in Ecuador.

· Covers every species and most subspecies recorded in Ecuador, including migrants and vagrants, with accurate and up-to-date distribution maps.
· 291 colour plates illustrating more than 1,630 species, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference.
· Concise text covering identification, voice, habits, habitats, range, distribution and status.

RECOMMENDATION: The most up-to-date of the widely available guides to the country.

New Title

1) Chavarría-Duriaux, Liliana, David C. Hille, and Robert Dean. Birds of Nicaragua: A Field Guide. 2018. Comstock Publishing Associates. Paperback: 467 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Birders in Central America have long known that Nicaragua is one of the best birding locations in the world, and with tourism to the country on the upswing, birders from the rest of the world are now coming to the same conclusion. The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua is home to 763 resident and passage birds, by latest count. Because of its unique topography―the country is relatively flat compared to its mountainous neighbors to the north and south―it forms a geographical barrier of sorts, which means that many birds that originate in North America reach their southernmost point in Nicaragua, while many birds from South America reach their northernmost point in the country. There are few places in the world where you can find both a Roadrunner and a Scarlet Macaw.

     Birds of Nicaragua features descriptions and illustrations of all 763 species currently identified in the country, along with information about 44 additional species that are likely to appear in the coming years. Range maps, based on years of field research, are color-coded. Other features include a richly illustrated anatomical features section, a checklist, a visual guide to vultures and raptors in flight, and a quick-find index.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for those birding Nicaragua!

New Title

1) Heinrich, Bernd. A Naturalist at Large: The Best Essays of Bernd Heinrich. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $26.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: From one of the finest scientist/writers of our time comes an engaging record of a life spent in close observation of the natural world, one that has yielded “marvelous, mind-altering” (Los Angeles Times) insight and discoveries.  In essays that span several decades, Heinrich finds himself at home in Maine, where he plays host to visitors from Europe (the cluster flies) and more welcome guests from Asia (ladybugs); and as far away as Botswana, where he unravels the far-reaching ecological consequences of elephants’ bruising treatment of mopane trees.         
     The many fascinating discoveries in Naturalist at Large include the maple sap harvesting habits of red squirrels, and the “instant” flower-opening in the yellow iris as a way of ensuring potent pollination. Heinrich turns to his great love, the ravens, some of them close companions for years, as he designs a unique experiment to tease out the fascinating parameters of raven intelligence. Finally, he asks “Where does a biologist find hope?” while delivering an answer that informs and inspires.
RECOMMENDATION: If you enjoyed Heinrich's other works, you will enjoy this one!