This portfolio of 116 color photographs of dazzling, rare and favorite birds of tropical America, presented by an intrepid husband-and-wife team is worth it for the photographs alone. The accompaning travelogues, invaluable resource list and suggestions for birdwatching and photography make the book essential for anyone with a healthy interest in travel and birds in Central and South America. The book documents the Thorntons' encounters with motmots, manakins, trogans, toucans, hummers, herons and all the rest range across 11 countries over 15 years. With maps, bird log, and photographic notes.  (SAM76, $34.95)