From Belize to Brazil, the forests of the American neotropics are home to an astonishing array of birds - over 3,700 different species, or nearly 40% of all the birds on earth. Vera and Bob Thornton, who have spent 15 years photographing these special and exotic birds in the rainforests of 11 different countries of Central and South America. In this book more than a hundred colour photographs they took during their travels are shown, along with a highly entertaining account of their adventures - and misadventures - in chasing these exotic neotropicals.
Maps; Bird Log; Neotropicals; Costa Rica--a Beginning; La Selva/Corcovado; Hatchet Tongue; Singing "Pittas"; Rio Napo; Army Antswarms; Among the Maya; Venezuela Revisited; The Lipstick Bird; Canopy Queen; Bellbirds; The Blue Cotinga; Manu; The Harpy Eagle; Hyacinth Macaws of the Pantanal; Tandayapa Valley, Ecuador; Suriname; Postscript; Family Album; Advice Lab; Resource Center; Bibliography; Index
The Thorntons have high standards indeed--some of these pictures are easily the best ever taken of their respective species; some are spectacular, even dazzling. Robert S. Ridgely, Vice President, American Bird Conservancy