Book excerpt: This up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the birds of mainland Ecuador is a valuable resource for anyone exploring the mountains, forests and wetlands of this incredibly bird-rich country. With thousands of beautiful and detailed paintings, accompanied by concise descriptions and accurate maps, this is an indispensible guide to bird identification in Ecuador. · Covers every species and most subspecies recorded in Ecuador, including migrants and vagrants, with accurate and up-to-date distribution maps. · 291 colour plates illustrating more than 1,630 species, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference. · Concise text covering identification, voice, habits, habitats, range, distribution and status.