On Fri, 5 Dec 1997, Jane Stewart wrote:

> I am off to Belize; What guide should I have?
> ABA has 100 Birds of Belize?
>
> I have books for Trinidad and for Columbia

Both Trinidad and Columbia have a South American avifauna; Belize really
doesn't.

Bring a field guide to the birds of Mexico, either Peterson and Chalif
(dated, incomplete, but nice illustrations) or Howell and Webb (up to
date, more thorough, more species illustrated, but perhaps the pictures
are not so lifelike).

Also bring a field guide to north american birds. The mexican guides
often skimp on illustrations of birds that breed in the U.S. and winter
down there. And there's nothing like seeing a female warbler or bunting,
even a "familiar" one, in a completely new context to remind you how
little you really know about familiar birds.

Chris Hill
Everett, WA
cehill at u.washington.edu