Field Guides: Needed? Which Ones?
 

Hello all! Finally a moment to catch up on forum posts from the past couple months. A pleasure i have missed.

Started finalizing my packing list - we leave January 15 for Kenya/Tanzania. I have searched the forum, with it's questionable search engine, trying to get more information on animal and bird field guide books. Is it important to bring one? I was leaning towards a good bird book for identification, but which one for East Africa? And I have a couple mammal books, but are they needed when you have a good guide to help identify?

Thank you for your help!

All the guides we've used had a copy of a bird ID book (usually "Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania") and a copy of a general animal guide like the one by Richard Estes or similar. So bringing your own is optional.

I bring only a bird book. The guide usually has one but it is nice to have your own to check and for midday birdwatching back in camp.

Hi Local2542,

I have spent a great deal of time searching out wildlife guides for East Africa this one looks good, http://tinyurl.com/2ud9pa and specifically for birds http://tinyurl.com/2p6ssx because I prefer photographs to illustrations of birds for easy identification.

I actually ordered the Audubon guide to African wildlife http://tinyurl.com/2vev65 as it has wide coverage of mammals and birds and I will be visiting both East and Southern Africa. Other Fodorites recommended this title so I have high hopes that it will be useful.

Cheers

Pol

We took a copy of "Birds of East Africa", Stevenson and Fanshawe. Used it constantly on safari and after returning (to confirm identification of photos). Our driver/guide had a copy too - he and my wife had some great competitions nailing down exactly what we had come upon. Won't go back without it.

Thank you - looking into all your recommended books. Seems like a bird book is the way to go. Appreciate your input!

I really liked Wildlife of East Africa by Martin Withers and David Hosking. It doesn't have as many birds as a full-fledged bird book, of course, but it does an amazingly good job of including both the mammals and birds you are most likely to see (not to mention a few of the trees and insects too). And it is relatively small, which is a bonus, too.

We relied on the guide's bird book for researching real puzzles, but about 98% of what I looked for was in my book, and it was also easier to find because the book was specifically for East Africa.

Just ordered Birds of East Africa on amazon. I have the Withers/Hosking's book, and it seems very usable also. Thank you for all your help.