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The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.

South American bird books

For bird books about individual South American countries see the pages:

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela

Birds of Peru

Clive Byers

Bloomsbury Publishing

2016

Originally published in 2011 by New Holland as A Photographic Guide to Birds of Peru.

"This concise and easy-to-use guide features 252 of Peru's most interesting and spectacular birds, with each illustrated in full colour and with key information on identification, habitat and distribution. Illustrated with clear colour photography and brief but authoritative descriptions the Pocket Photo Guides highlight the species of birds and animals from each region that the traveller is most likely to see, as well as those that are genuinely endemic (only to be seen in that country or region) or special rarities. The genuine pocket size allow the books to be carried around on trips and excursions and will take up minimal rucksack and suitcase space."

Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu and the Cusco Region

Barry Walker

3rd edition

2015

"The Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu and the Cusco Region is the result of a unique, three-continent collaboration between Barry Walker in Peru, Buteo Books in Virginia (USA), and Lynx Edicions in Barcelona. The text from previous versions of Barry Walker's field guide has been completely rewritten and updated. Covering the nearly 500 species known to occur in the region, the individual species accounts provide details on habitat, behavior, localizations, and occurrence. The 165 color plates on pages facing the text are drawn from illustrations painted for the monumental Handbook of the Birds of the World. This is a field guide with all the essentials to identify the bird in the field, yet compact and light enough to fit in a pocket or carry on the Inca Trail. A section of the book contains a detailed guide to the best birding sites in the region and an annotated checklist, both of which will be of great value to the visiting birdwatcher."

Birds of Peru / Aves del Perú / Oiseaux du Pérou

Robert Dean

2014

A 14 panel laminated fold-out guide to 242 species found in Peru with English, Spanish, French and scientific names.

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Peru

Clive Byers

2nd edition

2011

" A country of huge scenic diversity, Peru is a birdwatcher's paradise and a popular tourist destination. In constant competition with its neighbours Colombia and Ecuador as to which country can claim the highest number of bird species, Peru is home to about 1,800 different types. These range from the mighty Andean Condor to a dazzling variety of jewel-like hummingbirds. Many dramatic birds can be seen in the capital city of Lima itself, with bright and fiery Vermilion Flycatchers in the parks and gardens, noisy Canary-winged Parakeets in the streets and exotic Inca Terns and Peruvian Pelicans along the shoreline. Deep in the forests of the Amazon basin lurk birds of great variety and beauty: antpittas, trogons, manakins, motmots and cocks-of-the-rock - intriguing names that represent some of the most exciting birds anywhere. This concise and easy-to-use guide features 252 of Peru's most interesting and spectacular birds, with each illustrated in full colour and with key information on identification, habitat and distribution."

Birds of Peru

T.S. Schulenberg, D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O'Neill and T.A. Parker

Revised edition

2010

"Birds of Peru is the most complete and authoritative field guide to this diverse, neotropical landscape. It features every one of Peru's 1,817 bird species and shows the distinct plumages of each in 307 superb, high-quality color plates. Concise descriptions and color distribution maps are located opposite the plates, making this book much easier to use in the field than standard neotropical field guides. This fully revised paperback edition includes twenty-five additional species."

Birds of Peru

T.S. Schulenberg, D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O'Neill and T.A. Parker

2007

"With over 1800 species, Peru has the second richest avifauna of any country in the world. As a consequence it is one of the most popular birding destinations in South America. This will be the first comprehensive and fully illustrated field guide to the birds of Peru. Text is arranged opposite the plates, in conventional field guide manner. The combination of authoritative text and superb artwork will set new standards for South American field guides."

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Peru

Clive Byers

1st edition

2007

"A country of huge scenic diversity, Peru is a birdwatcher's paradise and a popular tourist destination. In constant competition with its neighbours Colombia and Ecuador as to which country can claim the highest number of bird species, Peru is home to about 1800 different types. These range from the mighty Andean Condor to a dazzling variety of tiny jewel-like hummingbirds. Many dramatic birds can be seen in the capital city of Lima itself, with bright and fiery Vermilion Flycatchers in the parks and gardens, noisy Canary-winged Parakeets in the streets and exotic Inca Terns and Peruvian Pelicans along the shoreline. Deep in the forests of the Amazon basin lurk birds of great variety and beauty: Antpittas, Foliage Gleaners, Manakins and Motmots - intriguing names that represent some of the most exciting birds anywhere. Two hundred and fifty-two of Peru's most interesting and spectacular birds are featured in this concise and easy-to-use guide, each species illustrated in full colour and with key information on identification, habitat and distribution."

Birds of Peru

T.S. Schulenberg, D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O'Neill and T.A. Parker

2007

"Nearly eighteen hundred different bird species - one fifth of the world's birds - have been recorded in Peru. "Birds of Peru" is the most complete and well-researched field guide to this rich and fascinating diversity. It illustrates every one of the 1,792 species and shows the distinct plumages of each. It includes 304 superb, high-quality color plates directly opposite concise descriptions and color distribution maps, making it much easier to use in the field than standard neotropical field guides. The detailed text discusses key identification features, status, distribution, and vocalizations for all species, and many subspecies. This field guide enables users to identify all species found in Peru, and is also useful throughout much of western South America, particularly southeastern Colombia, southern Ecuador, western Brazil, Bolivia, and northern Chile."

Peruvian Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide to the Central Andes

Barry Walker, Huw Lloyd and Gerard Cheshire

2007

"This full-colour guide to the wildlife of the High Andes in Peru will appeal to the ardent wildlife enthusiast, curious tourist and armchair traveller alike. Some of the hotspots covered are Machu Picchu, Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Inca Trail, the Avenue of the Volcanoes in Ecuador, and Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. With additional sections on geography, geology and a chapter covering the best trekking areas, this book is the perfect companion for anyone wishing to enhance their trip by bettering their understanding of the high-altitude ecology of Peru and its neighbours. This, the only such guidebook presently on the market, gives a detailed description of all animals (insects, fish, birds, mammals) encountered in the Andes above 3,000 metres. The most commonly found plants are also covered."

Peru: Natural Eden of Birds

Thomas Valqui

An introduction to Peru's birdlife.

Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu and the Cusco Region

Barry Walker

Nuevas Imagines

2005

Field guide to the 400 plus birds of the area.

Travellers' Wildlife Guide: Peru

David L. Pearson and Les Beletsky

2005

"Contains colour illustrations of more than 500 of Peru's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals from the Machu Picchu Incan ruins high in the Andes Mountains, to Lake Titicaca in southern Peru, and the Iquitos area of Amazonian northeastern Peru. Also includes information on the identification and location of the most frequently seen animals, the ecology, behaviour, and conservation of the animals, information on Peru's habitats and on the most common plants encountered, and brief descriptions of Peru's most frequently visited parks and reserves."

Where to Watch Birds in Peru

Thomas Valqui

Provides details of 150 birdwatching sites in seven areas of peru: the Southeast; Cuzco and Southern Inter-andean Valleys; South-Central Pacific Slope; Central Andes to the Amazon; the Northwest: Timbes area; Maranon and Upper Huallaga and Loreto. Includes a complete checklist for the country.

Treasures of the Forgotten Forest: Artists For Nature in the Tumbesian Region of Peru and Ecuador

Robert Williams

2004

"This book is the result of two journeys through the Tumbesian region of Peru and Ecuador by twenty wildlife artists from twelve countries. The artists responded to a request for help from a group of local conservation organisations, Bosques Sin Fronteras (BSF), which is seeking to maintain the biodiversity of the forests of the Tumbesian region. As a first step to raising awareness of the region's importance, Birdlife International, with help from WWF and other interested groups, is supporting the efforts of the Artists for Nature Foundation to help bring attention to the area through art. Some of the world's foremost wildlife artists were invited by Artists for Nature to paint and draw what they saw and witnessed as they travelled through this remarkable land. It is hoped that this compliation of their artworks will help illustrate the wonderful biodiversity of the Tumbesian Region and support the efforts of local groups, to work together for the long-term conservation and sustainable development of this globally important region."

Artists include: Kim Atkinson, Iraida Cano, Denis Clavreul, Jaap Deelder, Charles Donker, Vadim Gorbatov, Lars Jonsson, Bruce Pearson, Nik Pollard, Darren Rees, Chris Rose, Juan Varela Simo, Barry van Dusen, Michael Warren, Wolfgang Weber, Siegfried Woldhek, Darren Woodhead,

Areas Importantes Para La Conservacion de Las Aves En Los Andes Tropicales

Editors: K Boyla and A Estrada

BirdLife International / BirdLife Ecuador

2004

"More than 600 researchers contributed to the book, which took eight years to compile. 455 sites are identified, covering 17 percent of the land area of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. A comprehensive introduction covers habitats, protection, threats and other issues. Each site is described in detail, with thumbnail location maps, graphics and data tables . While it serves as an excellent site guide for birders, this is primarily a blueprint for governments and conservationists involved in planning protected area networks. More than half the sites have no protection."

This book is in Spanish with English chapter summaries.

Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary Peru

Barry Walker

2002

Field guide to birds of the area with over thirty colour plates, maps and a complete checklist.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru

James F. Clements and Noam Shany

1st edition

2001

"The most thorough guide ever published on one of the world's most important birding countries. It includes an annotated checklist of every bird known to occur in Peru, a gazetteer of all localities mentioned in the text, and details on important bird-finding areas and accommodations. Almost 500 of the Peruvian endemic birds and specialities are illustrated in full colour on 128 colour plates. Illustrations are by Dana Gardner and Eustace Barnes."

The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide to Peru

David L. Pearson and Les Beletsky

2001

"From the world-famous Machu Picchu Incan ruins high in the Andes Mountains, to Lake Titicaca in southern Peru, and the Iquitos area of Amazonian northeastern Peru, ecotravellers want to experience tropical forests and other stunning habitats and catch glimpses of exotic wildlife. In this book is all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Peru's magnificent animal and plant life. Full colour illustrations of more than 500 of peru's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals make this an indispensable guide."

A Birdwatcher's Site Guide to Peru

Frank Rheindt

"A comprehensive guide to most of the major birding sites in Peru, including a few previously unpublished localities, and sites in Bolivia and Northern Chile visited during a stay in South America from September 1997 to March 1998."

Manu: The Biodiversity of Southeastern Peru

Editor: Don E. Wilson and Abelardo Sandoval

1997

"The Manu Biosphere Reserve in southeastern Peru has been the site of intensive sampling and monitoring programs during the past decade involving top systematic scientists from the United States and Peru. In this volume, twenty-nine chapters (twenty written in English, nine in Spanish) provide an unprecedented summary of the region's biota. Divided into three sections, this study documents Manu's general flora, and fauna. Comprehensive checklists, standardized sampling schemes, information about species inventory and composition, and taxonomic data are provided for Manu's diverse plant and animal populations, including reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, spiders, and bamboos."

A Birder's Guide to Explorer's Inn

Simon Allen

A guide to the trails around Explorer's Inn lodge in Perue plus a checklists of the birds recorded in the area. The lodge is famous for having the largest list of recorded species for any place of a compatible size.

Biodiversity and Conservation in Tumbesian Ecuador and Peru

Brinley J Best and Michael Kessler

BirdLife International

1995

"This region of South America has been identified by BirdLife as an Endemic Bird Area. It has one of the largest complements of restricted-range species in the world, but has suffered catastrophic habitat loss in the second half of the 20th century, and has become the focus of much recent research. This important book uses the results of this work to present an overview of the habitats and avifauna of the region, assess their conservation status and make recommendations for future protection."

Birds of the High Andes

Jon Fjeldsa and Niels Krabbe

1990

"The area covered is the temperate and alpine zones of the Andean region, from Venezuela and Colombia in the north, through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, to the southernmost point on the coast of Chile. For each species, there is a full description, including plumage, habits, voices, breeding, habitat selection and range, plus detailed distribution maps. The colour plates depict over two thousand separate plumages in nearly one thousand species and subspecies. In addition there are numerous line drawings showing differential details, postures and nests."

Ornithological Gazetteer of Peru

Lorain Stephens and Melvin A. Traylor Jr

1983

The Birds of the Department of Lima, Peru

Maria Koepcke

1983

A field guide to the birds of the area. This is a translation of a book originally published in Spanish in 1964.

An Annotated Checklist of Peruvian Birds

Theodore A. Parker III, Susan Allen Parker and Manuel A. Plenge

1982

Lists 1,678 species recorded in Peru up to the end of 1980 with information on distribution and abundance.

Birds of Chile and the Adjacent Regions of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru

A.W. Johnson

1965

A two volume, 398 page guide to the birds of the area. With colour plates.

Bird Islands Of Peru

Robert Cushman Murphy

G. P. Putnam's Sons

1925

The Distribution Of Bird Life In The Urubamba Valley Of Peru

A Report On The Birds Collected By The Yale University National Geographic Society's Expeditions

Frank M. Chapman

Smithsonian Institution / United States National Museum

1921

From the introduction:

The work of the Yale University-National Geographic Society's Expeditions in the Urubamba region of Peru, under the direction of Prof. Hiram Bingham, has included not only the archaeological investigations which have made the country explored so widely known, but also researches in other branches of science, the whole being designed to form a comprehensive survey of the physical conditions and biological resources of the area under consideration. The task of making collections in vertebrate zoology was entrusted to the well-known naturalist, Edmund Heller, formerly of the Biological Survey, and the representative of the United States National Museum on the Roosevelt Expedition to British East Africa. The fact should be emphasized that Mr. Heller's first object in the field was the collection of mammals, and every one familiar with the difficulties of mammal collecting in the Andes will appreciate the skill and energy he displayed in amassing a collection of no less than 884 specimens. In collecting birds Mr. Heller attempted to secure species rather than specimens and his collection, therefore, contains a much larger number of forms than its size would lead one to expect.