Dominican Republic July 4th 18th 2005-08-05

• I saw a total of 47 birds during the fortnight. This may not seem a lot but considering it was July and all the American migrants had left it wasn’t too bad at all. It consisted of 40 lifers including 5 endemics, all but 5 species being seen from the hotel grounds...Gareth Jones reports.

Dominican Republic April 11th – 25th 2004

• I went to the Dominican Republic with a non-birder friend, with the intention of learning to scuba dive.... I have been able to identify 28 different species of birds and four species of lizard, most of which were seen in and around Casa Marina Reef Resort in Sosua (north Dom. Rep)...Jo Dale reports (Photo: Gray Kingbird)

Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti (Helm Field Guides) (Paperback)
Steve Latta et al: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• This is a valuable addition to the literature of the West Indies. In this book, all 302 species known to have occurred on the islands are described and illustrated and information on the biology and ecology of the birds is also given. This is the only comprehensive field guide devoted to the birds of Hispaniola, providing new information from the authors' personal research on the biology and ecology of the island's avifauna.

Helm Identification Guides: Birds of the West Indies
Herbert Raffaele: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• This identification guide covers all the birds known to occur in the West Indies, a total of 563 species. Species texts cover all aspects of identification and include the full range of local names for the bird. Accompanying each speices text is a distribution map showing the bird's range within the West Indies. Every species is illustrated in the 86 colour plates, and many island "forms" (where relevant) are also depicted. The "locality checklist" included provides an at-a-glance, island-by-island guide to the distribution and status of all species. This is the BEST book available for the West Indies

Where to Watch Birds in Central America & the Caribbean
Nigel Wheatley, David Brewer: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• This guide covers the best birding sites in Central America and the Caribbean. In a format familiar to readers of this very popular series, each site is considered in terms of 'Habitat', 'Timing', 'Access' and 'Calendar', allowing birders to plan excursions to maximise the chances of getting the best out of each site and each region. The book includes detailed maps of the larger sites, plus general maps of the regions covered, and it is illustrated with line drawings.

Travel guides

Lonely Planet: Dominican Republic (Country and Regional Guides)
Scott Doggett, Scott Connolly: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• This guide taps into the mystical with a special section on Haitian Vodou. It also offers advice on how to hit the beaches without paying the price - covering the Caribbean's most wallet-friendly sun-worshipping opportunities, and provides information on trouble spots.