A Field Guide to Mexican Birds: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador (Peterson Field Guides (R))

1. Mexican birds that are covered in Peterson's guides to the birds of North America, or the guide to birds of Texas, are not illustrated. You'll have to bring at least one other book.

2. Really glaring omission: no mention of the Spanish names of the birds! Did Peterson really think we would do all our Mexican birding from the north bank of the Rio Grande, with a really good spotting scope? (The Spanish names of the birds can be found on the website of the Museo de las Aves)


Not all the birds of Mexico   February 3, 2000
47 out of 48 found this review helpful

Although this book is up to Peterson standards it only contains the birds in Mexico not found in the North American guide. For example this book contains no shore birds. If you are out bird watching in Mexico you will need to bring both books.


Not Worthy of the Name   September 25, 2002
27 out of 29 found this review helpful

I love Peterson's Guides, but the birds of Mexico is severely lacking. The art certainly holds up to the standard set by the guides to North America, but unfortunately, it can only be considered complete if you tag along two other Peterson Guides. Perhaps a good addition if you wish to complete your collection of Peterson Guides, but otherwise, buy Howell's or Edward's Guides, both of which far outshine this guide when considered alone. Howell's is certainly the most complete, but Edward's guide is a bit handier in the field.


Buy the Spanish version!   April 17, 2001
Klaas Tjoelker (La Paz, Bolivia)
25 out of 26 found this review helpful

Other reviewers have already indicated the limitations of this book: pictures of many species and Spanish names are missing. I would add that the bibliography is lacking up-to-date references to the most usefull other guides about Mexican birds:

- A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, by Steve N.G. Howell and Sophie Webb;

- A field guide to the birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas, by Ernest Preston Edwards. (revised edition, 1998)

Both these books also have their limitations but they are essential complements to Peterson's guide and Howell and Webb's guide is much more comprehensive.

For Spanish-speaking people I would strongly recommend to buy the Spanish version of Peterson's guide:

- Aves de Mexico. Guia de Campo. (Editorial Diana, Mexico).

This Spanish version includes explanations and pictures of all Mexican birds and it even has the English names (no index of English names, however). Amazon is not stocking this title but perhaps they will, if you insist.


Better guides are available now   November 17, 2005
Christopher J. Sharpe (Caracas, Venezuela)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

Peterson pioneered field guides for American wildlife identification and they are still the best choice for many groups in North America. However, I think Peterson stretched himself in trying to cover the massive Mexican avifauna. And this particular Peterson has not kept pace with the much improved, newer field guides, so it has now become all but obsolete. It's still useful as an aide memoire for the pocket, but for the last ten years the best field guide to Mexican birds has been Howell and Webb and it looks unlikely to be superceded while I'm still birding. Though Edwards is an interesting book, I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion of using it as a serious field guide. So, either buy Howell and Webb or wait for Peterson to be thoroughly revised or perhaps for another pocket-sized guide to appear.