"A great tool for conservation" Zoom In

First Spanish field guide for South America

10-10-2006

The first Spanish-language guide to the non-passerine birds of South America was launched in Buenos Aires, at the opening ceremony of the Festival Mundial de las Aves, as the World Bird Festival is known in the Americas.

Covering the entire continent from Colombia and Venezuela to Antarctica, Guía Collins de Aves de Sudamérica is the Spanish language version of Collins Field Guide to the Birds of South America (published earlier in 2006). The book is a joint production involving BirdLife International, Aves Argentina (BirdLife in Argentina) and local publisher Letemendia. 

“We hope that it will catch the attention of decision makers, so that they rise to the challenge to preserve the most threatened Important Bird Areas in Latin America.” —Andrés Bosso, Executive Director of Aves Argentinas

Andrés Bosso, Executive Director of Aves Argentinas, said the book would be a great tool to promote the conservation of birds in South America. “The Collins guide, in its English and Spanish versions, will raise awareness of the need for immediate action to save our continent’s threatened species. We hope that it will catch the attention of decision makers, so that they rise to the challenge to preserve the most threatened Important Bird Areas in Latin America.”

BirdLife’s Executive Director Dr Michael Rands, who launched the book, explained that local-language field guides play an important part in building conservation capacity, and in creating the groundswell of public interest in birds and biodiversity that makes BirdLife’s conservation work successful.

Eugenio Coconier/Aves Argentinas BirdLife’s Director, Dr Michael Rands, officially opened the World Bird Festival celebrations in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Zoom In

“BirdLife is embarking on an ambitious ten-year project to provide 100 affordable national language guides to bird-rich developing countries” —Dr Mike Rands, Executive Director, BirdLife International

 “The number of committed and knowledgeable birding enthusiasts grows naturally when a good local field guide is available,” Dr Rands told his audience. BirdLife is embarking on an ambitious ten-year project to provide 100 affordable national language guides to bird-rich developing countries.

The illustrator of Guía Collins, Jorge Rodriguez Mata, produced the plates for the first Spanish-language Guide to the birds of Argentina (Nueva guia de las Aves Argentinas, Fundacion Acindar 1991), and worked with author Maurice Rumboll on Collins Illustrated Checklist of the birds of Southern South America and Antarctica (1998). Co-author Francisco Erize translated the book into Spanish.