FEATURED TITLE

1) Angehr, George R. and Robert Dean. The Birds of Panama: A Field Guide. 2010. Cornell University Press. Paperback: 456 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: The isthmus of Panama, where North and South America meet, hosts more bird species than all of North America. More accessible than ever to birdwatchers and other ecotourists, the country has become a premier neotropical birding and nature tourism destination in recent years. The Birds of Panama will be an essential tool for the new generation of birders traveling in search of Panama's spectacular avifauna.
     This user-friendly, portable, and affordable identification guide features:
• large color illustrations of more than 900 species.
• the first range maps published to show the distribution of Panama's birds.
• concise text that describes field marks for identification, as well as habitat, behavior, and vocalizations.
• range maps and species accounts face illustration pages for quick, easy reference.
• the inclusion of North American migrants and seabirds, as well as female and juvenile plumage variations.
• an up-to-date species list for the country that reflects recent additions, taxonomic splits, and other changes in classification.

Panama's unique geography, small size, and varied habitats make it possible to see a vast diversity of birds within a short time. Its western and central areas harbor representatives of species found in Central America; species characteristic of South America may be found in the east. In the winter, birds from northern climes are commonly found in Panama as migrants. This is the one field guide the novice or experienced birder needs to identify birds in the field in Panama's diverse habitats.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for birders visiting or are from Panama. Robert Dean is working on a field guide to the birds of northern Central America.

New Title

1) Farndon, John. Atlas of Oceans: An Ecological Survey of Underwater Life. 2011. Yale University Press. Hardbound: 256 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: A tragedy is playing out beneath the surface of the world's bodies of marine waters, one that began long before the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although many books have explored the environmental problems being faced on land, Atlas of Oceans is the first book for a general audience that examines how creatures of the marine environment are if anything more vulnerable than their land-based counterparts.
     Readers are introduced to the dazzling, diverse array of creatures that inhabit the oceans and seas, and to the nature of the problems they face. Special features focus on the threats to particular animals, plants, and habitats, as well as on specific issues like overfishing, global warming, and pollution. The book also includes success stories, recommendations for what can be done to preserve ocean ecosystems, and a complete rundown of the most endangered species of marine life.
     Beautifully illustrated, packed with maps and diagrams, and containing up-to-the-minute data on the status of endangered marine species, Atlas of Oceans is a celebration of Earth's vibrant and awe-inspiring oceans and seas and an urgent call to action to protect one of our planet's most vital resources.
RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction on the subject.

New Title

1) Gwynne, John A., Robert S. Ridgely, Guy Tudor and Martha Argel. Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil: The Pantanal and Cerrado of Central Brazil. 2011. Cornell University Press. Paperback: 322 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: Brazil, the fifth largest nation in the world, is one of the planet's richest places for avian diversity and endemism. With the Birds of Brazil field guide series, the Wildlife Conservation Society brings together a top international team to do justice to the incredible diversity of Brazil's avifauna. This first guide of the planned five-volume series features the 743 bird species of the Pantanal and Cerrado regions of Central Brazil.
     The sprawling Pantanal plain, one of the world's most famed birding sites, is a seasonally flooded wetland boasting both impressive concentrations of large waterbirds and species such as the Toco Toucan, Hyacinth Macaw, Golden-collared Macaw, and endemic Blaze-winged Parakeets. The Cerrado is a distinctive Brazilian habitat that is the planet's biologically richest savanna.
     This compact modern field guide's unparalleled color artwork throughout, identification points, and range map for each species enable easy identification of all the birds normally found in these vibrant and critically important areas of Brazil. With 116 threatened species encompassing 25 percent of South America's threatened birds, Brazil has an imperative to conserve its birds and unique habitats that begins with their appreciation and identification. Thus, the species accounts are coupled with an introductory chapter on the region's unique environments and pressing conservation challenges. This practical and portable guide is an indispensable companion to those visiting Brazil's glorious natural areas of the Pantanal and Cerrado.
RECOMMENDATION: Eight artists did the artwork with Guy Tudor doing the passerines ( taken from his earlier works) and the other artists doing the non-passerines. Anyone with an interest in the birds of Brazil will want this guide!

FEATURED TITLE

                                                                            
1) Kells, Val and Kent Carpenter. A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Maine To Texas. 2011. Johns Hopkins University Press. Paperback: 448 pages. Price: $25.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes is a comprehensive, current, and accurate identification guide to the more than 1,000 nearshore and offshore fishes that live in brackish and marine waters from Maine to Texas.
     Val Kells and Kent Carpenter bring decades of experience to this project. With Kells' detailed, vivid illustrations and Carpenter's deep knowledge of biology, taxonomy, and nomenclature, this book captures the stunning diversity of species along America's eastern shores. Key features of the book include:

• more than 1,000 full-color illustrations, set side-by-side with descriptions of each fish
• details about the biology of each species
• habitat, distribution, and size information

     Reliable and up-to-date, A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes is the most complete book ever published on East and Gulf Coast fishes—perfect for boat, home, or classroom. Its beautiful design and accessible format make it an ideal guide for fishermen, divers, students, scientists, naturalists, and fish enthusiasts alike.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those interested in the marine fishes of eastern North America. Val Kells's artwork highlights this book! Sample pages can be seen at the author's website here: http://fieldguidetofishes.com/look-inside/
This title is also available:

The weekly Birdbooker Report

My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/feb/13/2

3-D field guides in our future?

I've been wondering what the future holds for the field guide. The thing I think that's missing from traditional field guides are 3-D images. So I began to visualize what an on-line 3-D field guide would look like. Here are some samples currently available:
Aves 3-D:  A three dimensional database of avian skeletal morphology: http://aves3d.org/

Zoological Museum Amsterdam Type specimens in 3D

http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/zma3d/types_home.html

Well, it's a start!

Bookselling Article

Saw this article about the current state of bookselling in the U.S.A. in today's USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-02-10-1Abookstores10_CV_N.htm