Later tonight I'll be setting off to
lead a two-week birding tour to Belize. Having prepared for some 25
trips to the country, and done a little research there myself, I have
consulted scores of books and papers on the subject, and have often
been asked to recommend books that will help the curious naturalist
get the most out of a trip. With time pressing, I have updated my old
Amazon list below. Those marked with an asterisk are the ones I
will actually be taking with me.
A Neotropical Companion (2nd
edition) by John Kricher
The best introduction to the natural
history of the New World tropics. This is a book to take on your
trip, to consult and to read while you travel. Hugely informative and
encyclopaedic
Central America: A Natural and
Cultural History edited by Anthony G. Coates
A series of essays
that range from the geology of the region to the faunal interchange,
to indigenous peoples and independence from the Spanish – a good
primer.
Traveller's Wildlife Guide: Belize
by Les Beletsky
A general overview of Belize for the
naturalist. No, it does not include everything, but it can be
used to identify a proportion of what you see and, at the very least,
help point you in the right direction. I don't use this general guide
myself, but it is popular amongst tour participants and is probably
the best option for those with a casual interest in nature.
*Birds of Belize by H. Lee Jones
& Dana Gardner
If birds are your interest, then this
is the national field guide, covering all 574 species recorded in
Belize at the time of publication. Unusually for a Neotropical bird
guide, it also depicts boreal migrants such as shorebirds and wood
warblers. National maps are handy –
just be aware that on every
trip you will see a handful of species that are well out of range.
*A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and
Northern Central America by Steve N. G. Howell & Sophie Webb
But if you take your birding seriously,
you will want Howell and Webb too. One of the best field guides to
any avifauna, it will come in handy for future trips to neighbouring
countries. Not the lightest of field guides and now nearly twenty
years old, but still worth its weight in gold. A masterpiece!
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of
Eastern North America by David Allen Sibley
And to really nail the birds, you
should carry a North American field guide. I find Sibley's Eastern
guide fits the bill since it's light and portable and you are
unlikely to see any western migrants here.
*A Field Guide to the Mammals of
Central America and Southeast Mexico (2nd edition) by Fiona A. Reid
For mammals, Fiona Reid's guide is
definitive. As with Howell & Webb, it will come in handy for
those planning to travel to the rest Central America.
*A Field Guide to the Amphibians and
Reptiles of the Maya World: The Lowlands of Mexico, Northern
Guatemala and Belize by Julian C. Lee
For herps, Julian Lee's guide to the
amphibians and reptiles of the Yucatan is the best portable option.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of the
Yucatan Peninsula by Julian C. Lee
If you want to know more about herps
then this weighty tome by the same author is essential reading,
though you will probably not be packing it for the trip. Besides, it
is in the libraries of many of the wildlife lodges.
Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern
Guatemala, the Yucatan and Belize by Jonathan A. Campbell
And if you really want to be
comprehensive, Campbell fills a similar niche, for home use.
Reef Fish Identification by Paul
Humann & Ned Deloach
The world's second largest barrier reef
sits off the coast of Belize, so you should at least take a
snorkelling trip to Hol Chan or Shark-Ray Alley. If you just want to
identify fish, this is the standard guide.
The Reef Set: Reef Creature,
Reef Coral Identification & Reef Fish (3 volume
boxed set) by Paul Humann & Ned Deloach
If you are planning on really exploring
the Belizean reefs, by diving, then you might as well splash for the
three volume set that includes the fish guide...
Coral Reef Fishes: Indo-Pacific and
Caribbean by Ewald Lieske
This is the volume I use for fish.
Light and portable, it won't break the bank and lets me identify most
of what I see. Plus I won't need to buy a new guide when I go to the
Indo-Pacific...
*A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of
Mexico and Central America by Jeffrey Glassberg
A wonderful book that is compact enough
to carry in the field. The annotated photographs will enable
identification to genus and often species. A great way to while away
the hot midday hours when birds tend to be less active.
The Orchids of Guatemala and Belize
by Oakes Ames & Donoval Stewart Correll
The botany of Belize is not well
covered. This is a 60+ year old guide using line drawings. Taxonomy
is, of course, well out of date. However, orchid lovers will want a
copy.
Native Orchids of Belize by Ian
McLeish
This larger 1995 book has both line
drawings and photographs. Again, probably one for the specialist
only.
If you are at all interested in the
cultural significance and uses of nature –
ethnobiology – then this
book is a must.
The Maya
(8th edition) By Michael D. Coe
A readable
introduction to the ancient Maya, and as much as most people will
want in order to grasp some idea of the meaning of Belize's Mayan
sites.
The Ancient Maya (6th
edition) by Robert J. Sharer
An authoritative account of the ancient
Maya. At 900+ pages, this is not one for the backpack but, read
before and after the trip, it will enhance your understanding of of
Belize's history and culture.
Belize 1:250,000 Travel Map
by International Travel Maps
Don't get lost! Having helped supply
their cartographer, Kevin Healey, with information on Latin America
in the early 1990s, in my experience, the Canadian company ITMB
always seems to publish the most helpful and accurate travel maps. No
exception here: the Belize map integrates relief, roads and parks in
a clear and practical format. Have a great trip!
