CATEGORY

The archipelago of Indonesia is a birder's paradise, with 17 percent of the world's species represented, 381 of which can be found nowhere else on earth. It's a rare pleasure to see the birds of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara, of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya, a pleasure which takes a good bit of preparation, organization, and advance detail. Fielding's Birding Indonesia is as fine a guide (to the region, the logistics, and the birds) as you could want. Take the chapter on Maluku, for example. An easy reference page tells you at once that the ferry to Halmahera takes an hour, basic accommodations are available at Anu's Birdwatcher's Home, it's hot and humid always and very wet April through August, and that Standardwings and Invisible Rails, plus 24 other indigenous, rare species, are there for the viewing. With luscious color photos and reliable, practical particulars, Jepson's guide is the perfect blend of inspiration and information. -Stephanie Gold