Peter Evans (15)

Basics: 1990, 1st edition, softcover, 162 pages, 115 color photos, 180 species, no range maps

This is an interesting little pocket guide that covers most of the breeding and regularly occurring birds of the eastern Caribbean. This area is basically the Lesser Antilles from the Virgins Islands southeast to Grenada. This book is not a field guide, but more of an overview of 180+ species typically found in the region.

Each bird is shown by one color photo of varying quality and size. Some birds are up close (held in the hand) while others are only a dark silhouetted “V” in the sky, such as the Lesser Antillean Swift. Some of the photos have poor lighting, leaving you to trust the identification as being correct. The book does have a photo of a St. Lucia Nightjar, which is not a commonly photographed bird. The photo of an Adelaide's Warbler on page 115 appears to actually be a St. Lucia Warbler, which was split over a decade after this book was put into print.

The text covers the standard description, calls, habits, and seasonal status for each bird. A complete checklist is included in the back with all the key islands broken out into their own columns.

This book will be a handy resource to keep at your armchair in case you have a mild interest to review some of the islands' birdlife. However, if you are serious about birding the area and want any information necessary for identification, subspecies, vocalizations, or other more specific information, you will need a another book, such as the Birds of the West Indies by Raffaele.… (mais)