Review of Raptors of New Mexico

New Mexico is huge—the 5th largest state in the U.S.—so it’s no surprise that there is a great diversity of habitat. Add to this the geographical location of this beautiful state and your bound to find a great variety of birds and lots of them.

Raptors of New Mexico, edited by Jean-Luc E. Cartron, covers all the raptors that occur in the state. This includes vultures, eagles, kites, osprey, falcons, hawks, and owls. This huge book includes tons of information largely inaccessible or buried in scientific journals. But Raptors of New Mexico isn’t just strictly scientific research; it also includes natural history information and aesthetically appealing photographs.

The numerous photos and stories from the field keep the species accounts lively and engaging, just the way real-life birding is.

The individual chapters on each species of raptor also includes maps of breeding and/or migratory movement plus charts and tables displaying data from Christmas Bird Counts and other studies. The information on distribution, habitat, and behavior is especially useful for birders wishing to locate and study particular birds. The sections on status and management is wonderfully useful for bird conservationists.

While Raptors of New Mexico is highly detailed, gorgeous, and full of incredible information, it may not be for all birders. But if you live in or visit the Land of Enchantment or if you have a great love for raptors, than Raptors of New Mexico belongs in your library.

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Raptors of New Mexico
ed. Jean-Luc E. Cartron
University of New Mexico Press
728 pages, 744 color photographs
ISBN: 978-0-8263-4145-7

Disclaimer: We received this book from the publisher to review on birdfreak.com.