Where to Watch Birds in Costa Rica by Barrett Lawson

Having visited Costa Rica a short while ago, this was the guide I wish I'd found before I travelled! Whilst fumbling around the web, downloading and analyzing endless trip reports and painstakingly deciding on an itinerary are all good preparation and anticipation for the trip, this new guide takes all of the pain out of this.

For anyone who has never visited, Costa Rica is the real gem of Central America. Whilst not home to the greatest number of species (a mere 838 compared to 904 in Panama and 1,026 in Mexico), this is more than countered by increased accessibility, safety and ease. With the country's economy so tied to eco-tourism, you'll have very little trouble there.

The introduction covers a refreshingly wide range of subjects, from the expected geology, geography and climate to less-often-seen birding tips. These are well written and comprehensive and will help the novice get the most out of their trip to the tropics. The guide goes on to cover a wide range of birding locations, many of which are within the incredibly well-established protected area network. Sites are grouped within the main regions, which follow the main biogeographic (and endemic bird) areas. Each of the main areas covered has a comprehensive introduction and map, although the updated website versions are worth downloading as a printing error left some map layers obscuring other features. Many of the regions are then divided into sub-regions, which can make the guide slightly hard to navigate, as it can be difficult to keep track of which site, in which sub-region, you're looking at — a minor inconvenience. Each of the chapters is also livened up with a very pleasing vignette — a nice touch.

For many sites, a detailed map is a real help, although these are rather few and far between in the guide. Where they do feature, more detail could have been added, perhaps with specific sites marked for target species. A useful feature in the site accounts is that species listed include a page/plate reference to their appearance in the two major field guides to the country (Stiles & Skutch, and Garrigues & Dean), making it easy to cross-reference.

The Appendices, strangely lumped into one long Appendix, are packed with reference material, including a full species checklist and information on relevant name changes. Most useful for the visiting birder, though, will be the guide to finding the country's endemics. This lists the main sites to visit to stand the best chance of catching up with these target birds and will help greatly in itinerary planning. The lack of an index of bird names is perhaps understandable, as it would be rather lengthy, but it would help in locating species information.

My only real criticism of many of the Where to Watch... guides is their almost universal lack of information on how to give something back to bird recording 'in country'. For such a renowned birding destination as Costa Rica, it is surprising that the national ornithological association (La Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica) has no mention in the guide — the companion website merely shows an outdated link. For anyone wanting to report their sightings after a trip (which we should all be doing), there are few options, though I'd perhaps suggest using Cornell's eBird programme.

All in all, minor criticisms aside, this is an essential guide for anyone considering a trip to Costa Rica. It would be a crime to visit this amazing birding hotspot without knowing where to find its best birds.