Johan Dalgas Frisch

Significantly updated from the 1964 version, this is one of the first books to illustrate most of the Brazilian birds. The book cannot really be called a field guide for two reasons. One, it does not contain all of Brazil’s species. Unfortunately, the author died before this book could be finished. Consequently, a few groups of birds are not included, such as hummingbirds, terns, and gulls. Two, there is no text for any of the birds other than the bird’s name. Simply, this book presents an illustration for nearly 1,100 (70%) of the 1,600 species found in Brazil, but nothing more.

The 120 color plates do a fair job at illustrating the birds. The plumages shown are only of the adults; and, not all of the females are depicted. Additionally, the plumages of migratory birds (e.g., waterfowl, warblers) illustrate just the winter plumage, which is most likely to be seen in Brazil. As for the quality of these drawings, they are mediocre. For those birds with distinctive plumages, this book will help to identify them. But, for any similar birds, or even for some poorly drawn birds, this book just does not offer the necessary detail or accuracy to help with clear identification.

The structure and proportions of the bodies, heads, beaks, and tails are often notably off. You might need to do a double-take to recognize the pipits, Opal-crowned Tanager, or even the Black-and-white Warbler. Lastly, nearly all the birds are shown in the same perched position, facing to the left. None of the birds -- not even the swifts, swallows, or hawks -- are shown in flight.

The plates offer the only information for identifying the birds. There is zero text for any of the birds other than listing their names on the page adjacent to the plate. The names are offered in Portuguese, scientific, English, and Castelhano (Spanish). A separate index has also been created for each language.

The last 25 pages of the book discuss (in only Portuguese) observing birds in Brazil. They cover general topics like making observations in the field or using equipment such as binoculars and recording instruments.

Until the early 2000s, this book was the only real option for Brazilian birds. Now, there are several new books available with a couple others still being created. The best options for Brazil include the recent books by Sigrist. Another, but weak, alternative is the book by Souza.

I’ve listed several related books below…
1) All the Birds of Brazil by Souza
2) Aves Do Brasil = Birds of Brazil: An Artistic View by Sigrist
3) Guia de Campo Aves do Brasil Oriental by Sigrist (ISBN 9788560120024)
4) Guia de Campo: Aves Da Amazonia Brasileira by Sigrist (ISBN 9788560120048)
5) Aves da Grande Belem by Novaes
6) Aves na Mantiqueira by Hofling et al.
7) Birds in Brazil by Sick
8) Ornitologia Brasileira Volumes 1&2 by Sick
9) Guia de Campo Aves da Grande Sao Paulo by Develey
10) Aves do Estado de Sao Paulo by Willis and Oniki… (plus d'informations)