We are not birders, but I did buy the book. "the Birds of Costa Rica" Hutch/Stiles (?)

There are numerous color plates, and I have been trying to study up a little. I have read some people/guides pull out the color plates and laminate them. I imagine lugging it around it could get wet. It is a heavy book, and we are doing carry-ons for 18 days.

I have access to laminate them, but really hate to destroy the book. Any opinions or suggestions?

Paula,
You can buy really nice laminated tri-fold bird guides in Costa Rica. While they don't contain every bird like the Birds of Costa Rica, they are very representative of what you're likely to see in the different regions. Because they're tri-fold, they are easy to carry and you won't have to ruin your book! These are widely sold in many Costa Rican giftshops. If you're interested, I'll see if I can locate mine later today. It has a web address on it which I can post here FYI.
Terri

Hi TA,
Thanks for your quick response. I love books and was having a hard time with this. I will probably have to try and find the guide there as we are leaving in 8 days and I don't think it would get here by then. Do you remember the name of the guide or is it one of those things I will just see and know that's what you meant?

All the naturalist-guides we met in December seemed to be carrying a copy of Stiles & Skutch in their daypacks, so maybe you could rely on them and just use the excellent laminated guides (available everywhere, including the airport) while you're out and about, then consult your book in the evening.

Thanks Rosi...that's a good idea. Just dont' want to ruin the thing.

Hi Paula, I love this question. When we were in Costa Rica we bought the bird book. I would have loved to have the laminated pages. The book was never opened once when we got home. We never really used it asmuch as we thought we would. It was fun to look at at the hotel, but when you are trying to identify bird, when you are a novice,meaning I never identified a bird in my life before Costa Rica, it was really hard. We went on some nature walks with birding poeple and it was histerical after a while because they were always pointing out birds, oh look, there is the yellow chested such and such or the red throated such and such. By the time you would find the right page in the book the bird would be gone. I say laminate the pages,use the charts people talk about (yes, we bought those also) and don't take the book in a day pack. If we go back I think we will laminate the pages from the book. Yes, I too, hate to "ruin" books, but the identification of birds is the purpose of the book, and unless you are a science teacher what are you going to do with that book once you get home. Have fun

Thanks Karen, also thanks for responding to an earlier post where you told me about the tours you took from Selva Verde Lodge. You're a big help.

Paula, everyone here has such great feedback for you! It really is a personal matter, I suppose.

But rosi makes a great point about many guides having the book with them (if you hire guides for various hikes, which I highly recommend... they see so many things you'll miss!)

I traveled with my mom, who is a huge birder, and she decided to pack the book but leave it in the hotel during the day. She spent a lot of time each night, going through and noting what she saw each day... she said she would have been miserable if she hadn't brought it. Now, mind you, she's been birdwatching for many years, and was happy to have all that detail.

I suppose it's a matter of how serious you are about birds. Those laminated tri-folds are fantastic (definitely enough for me!), but my mom said she wouldn't have been happy ONLY having them because they weren't detailed enough.