Martyn Kenefick

Basics: 2007, 1st edition, softcover, 256 pages, 107 color plates; 460+ species; no range maps; US$35

To date, this is the better of the field guides to cover these South American islands, seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. I say this for two reasons. One is the greater number of species included, which encompasses all migrants and all rare sightings. Even birds with just one sighting – or even zero sightings in the last decade – are illustrated. Secondly, more plumage variations are shown in this book. These include adult vs. juvenile vs. immature; male vs. female; fresh vs. worn; seasonal; and subspecies.

The text offers clear, detailed descriptions to aid with the identification. Voice, similar species, and status are also described. I like how the authors note if the bird is found on only one of the two islands.

After thumbing through the plates, you might notice most of the illustrations look familiar. The majority of the plates are taken directly from another book, “Birds of Northern South America: An Identification Guide, Volume I”. New paintings were made for this T&T book for those species not found on the mainland. Some corrections were also made to the original plates.

For the most part, the artistry is good. My only dissent comes from a too-vertical posture for many of the flycatchers and hummingbirds, the cuckoos seem to be a bit to cartoonish, the falcons a little rigid, and some of the gulls and terns have some notable proportional problems. The Caspian Tern is perhaps the best (or worst) example.

Taking this guide on your travels to Trinidad and Tobago will help you with success in your birding excursion. I recommend it over the ffrench or the Herklots guides.

Other Related Books:
1) A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench
2) Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench
3) Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by Barrow
4) The Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by Herklots
5) Birds of Northern South America: An Identification Guide; Volume I by Restall, Rodner, and Lentino
6) Birds of the West Indies by Bond
7) A Photographic Guide to Birds of the West Indies by Flieg
8) A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies by Raffaele… (mais)