Here in an easy-to-use format is an essential guide to the nearly 1,300 species of non-passerine South American birds. It complements Robert Ridgely and Guy Tudor’s large reference volumes on the passerines, which are also available in the compact, single-volume edition . One of things that makes this book special is its use of masterful and alluring illustrations; most neotropical birders will want the book for the illustrations alone. The text concentrates on the key identification features of each species and follows the layout of other books in this series. The book may be used in conjunction with regional and country field guides.