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This book covers one of the largest and most complex avifaunas in the world and makes finding almost any species recorded from Peru possible. It is clear and concise, and should serve as a model for future bird finding books. Anyone interested in birds, whether an avid field person or just an armchair birder, will want to have it!
Dr. John P. O'Neill, Staff Research Associate, LSU Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, Louisisna, USA

This is a great book. I'm very impressed with it: the wealth of detail, the easy to interpret maps, the terrific illustrations, all in all it is a very "slick" piece of work. Very well done
Dr. Thomas S. Schulenberg, Environmental and Conservation Programs, Field Museum of Natural History

This amazing book ... is just crammed with useful, and accurate, information on where to see virtually every one of the huge number of birds that call Peru home. Nicely written and meticulously researched, it's sure to enhance Peru's reputation as one of the premier birding destinations in the world. Now we need something like it for Ecuador!
Dr. Robert S. Ridgely, Director of International Bird Conservation - Audubon, Autor of several Book: Birds of Ecuador, The Birds of Southamerica (I, II), etc

Peru is one of the worlds premier birding destinations and has the second highest diversity of birds on earth. This bird finding guide by Thomas Valqui is a milestone in Peruvian birding literature. Nine years in preparation, Thomas Valqui visited all but a handful of the birding localities in this book, painstakingly gathering information on vegetation types, kilometre readings, local transport and access options and sketching very useful maps. Most intelligently using information provided by colleagues and other birders in Peru he compiled what can only be described as a complete inventory of all presently known birding localities within the country. The book is user friendly and divided up into geographical regions. A short list of special and sought after birds and help on how to access the site using public transport, where available, is given, plus detailed directions with sketch maps on how to get there. The books overall appeal is accentuated with colour photos of habits by Walter Wust and charming pen and ink bird sketches by Dan Lane. Valqui takes great pains not only to provide a complete site guide but to also provide additional useful information in the introductory chapters on suggested reading and references, climate, travellers tips, bio -geographic bird regions, and a very good section on the habitats found in Peru complemented by Wust's photos. Valqui also takes pains to warn the reader of the potential hazards of travelling in Peru's remote interior and provides information on tour agencies and lodges specialized in catering for travelling birders for those who prefer to set their trip up in advance. Principally, the book is aimed at birders travelling alone in Peru, either by public transport or with a hire car, yet I used it the other day and that's after 20+ years birding far flung corners of Peru. In short a bird finding masterpiece, marred only by printing errors on some of the sketch maps where numeric symbols appear to have been omitted on some maps. A complete list of Peruvian birds is provided at the back of the book. A must for anyone visiting Peru
In:. South American Explorer Vol. 77, Fall 2004/Winter 2005 Issue, and "Birding World" by

Barry Walker
Manu Expeditions
bwalker@amauta.rcp.net.pe

... Just back from Iquitos. Can't tell you how much I enjoyed your book. It was a tremendous help. I think that coupled with a good field guide your bird-finding guide really becomes an invaluable tool to anyone visiting Peru. We found every one of the endemics in the Iquitos area (except for Mishana Tyrannulet) with the help of your book. I can tell you that we would definitely not have seen ANY of the endemics without the help of your fabulous bird-finding guide
Dr. James Clements, Ibis Publishing Company, Author of Birds of Peru, Birds of the World: A checklist, and others

It is great to finally have Thomas's book in hands! As I have birded quite a bit in Peru myself, I can judge the quality of the treatments for several sites, and I certainly find very little to criticise or to add. One finds all information necessary to find the birds. One thing to add in a future edition (or to put on the website) might be a list of sought-after species (endemics, some other rare or spectacular species) with tips on where and how to find them. This would save much time from looking up the species throughout the text. I only wish I had all this information in hand when I visited some of these sites. Quite likely, I would have several additional bird species,under the belt. As it is, I certainly must return to Peru with Thomas's guide in hand to fill some most annoying gaps in my bird list
Dr. Michael Kessler, A-v-H Institut, Abteilung Systematische Botanik, Universität Göttingen, Germany

Thomas Valqui, Peru’s preeminent native-born ornithologist, has produced a stunning bird-finding guide! It sets a new standard, eclipsing any such work, to date, for any country in South America. The author’s many years in the field, coupled with his remarkable attention to detail, have elevated this book far beyond the sum of every trip and expedition report for Peru combined. It is no wonder that it took nine years to write!

Beautiful Peru has long been an enigma to bird watchers not on organized tours, and none of these tours have ever managed visits to many of the one-hundred-and-fifty sites covered. This landscape is now significantly altered. For the first time ever, great information is available for both the novicelooking for birds around Cuzco, and the die-hard masochist intent on a three-week expedition attempting to see one of the more remote taxa, although information about a possible stay in hospital afterward will have to be found elsewhere

The plan of the book is simple and clear, the color photographs of habitats a wonderful touch, the index indispensable. The problem of seemingly weekly changes in Peruvian taxonomy has been handled with numerous references to subspecies of note. Another problem is that out-of-date guides are the norm in the neotropics - new places are always being discovered and known ones often change, sometimes quickly

This will be addressed by updates on a web site mentioned in the introduction. To my knowledge, this is a first. Finally, the inclusion of unnamed new species should get any bird-watcher’s attention!

This work is an obvious labor of love done in a gently humorous style. Whether you want to stay home and dream about Peruvian birds instead of watching TV or get in there and whack away, it is an absolute must
Mark Sokol (sokol@sonic.net), Sebastpol, California, USA

... You must get hold of Where to Watch Birds in Peru by Thomas Valqui. It came out a couple of months ago and I got mine yesterday - it is absolutely amazing. All the logistics are covered for travel & budget birding. Check out this website for further details on how to get the book and for regularly updated corrections and further sites...
Tom Mckinney in Birdforum, www.birdforum.net , 19 Sept 2004

Just want to include my congratulations to Thomas on this achievement. The book is out-standing. Packed with information where to see many special birds - totally in an expedition birding spirit - and if it wasn't because Peru still is somewhat complicated if one does not speak Spanish, I would have to take up another occupation. But on the contrary I think this book will stimulate people to come to Peru - both independent travellers and those that seek help of a professional bird-guide. And more people coming to Peru is what is needed to spread some eco-dollars into the most conservation worthy areas of Peru. Buy this book - it is a goldmine for everyone - bird guide, group traveller or independent do-it- ourself birders. The Spanish proverb of something very valuable and worthwhile applies here - Vale un Peru!
Gunnar Engblom, Kolibri Expeditions, www.kolibriexpeditions.com , In: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Birdingperu/ 12 Nov 2004

Mike Andersen, Dan Lebbin, Tim Perkins, and I were in the Huancabamba-Tabaconas-Chinguela region just over a week ago, using mainly Thomas' new book as our guide. After a rugged 3 1/2 week trip around the"Northwest" and "Maranon" regions described in the book, I have nothing but good things to say about the book. A couple areas needed a little time to find the proper locations for birds, but this is more because the sites have changed rather than the directions not being explicite
Pete Hosner In: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Birdingperu/ 22 Dic 2004

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