Edward L. Chalif
1 Could use some completing.
This Peterson Guide to Mexican Birds is very beautiful in the illustration category. However, it is not the most complete guide on the market. I would solely recommended the Western Guide to Birds, since it is the most complete bird guide yet. Birds of Britain and Europe is also needed to complete Mexican Birds. The authoritative highlight of the guide are the extensive listings of hummingbirds. This book covers at least twenty species. Other families and genus are mentioned, but many are lacking. The Western Guide to Bird Nests may also be needed to better explain and complete this.
2 Not Worthy of the Name
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.
3 dissatisfied
I ordered this book, used, even though there was an unfavorable review. I have a number of Peterson books and like them all. The Mexican book is the exception. The one I received was from a very old edition, had incomplete illustrations of many birds, making identification difficult to impossible, and did not picture many birds found in other Peterson guide books. It is the worst. The reseller did ship the book promptly but I did not pay attention to the edition date and was unaware that there was a later edition of the book.
4 Buy the Spanish version!
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. Gu’a 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.
5 One glaring omission
This book describes birds of Mexico in the usual annoying Peterson format - decription on one page, illustration on another. The illustrations and descriptions are good, and for birds of Mexico, there are only a couple other guides to choose from. Two problems:
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)
6 Not all the birds of Mexico
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.
