Field Guides-Field Museum

In 2025, our webpage paused new publications from January to early November for significant back-end improvements. As soon as we received the green light from our IT Department, our team jumped on the task of publishing as many guides as possible before our winter break. We worked weeks and weekends, day and night, for one and a half months (November & December), and published 44 field guides.

🤞 We are currently closed for new submissions and hope to reopen as soon as possible next year.

Bird lovers: check out our field guide, "Birds of Urahuasha Protected Area." Urahuasha borders the Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area, a 1,500 km² protected region in Peru’s northern Cordillera Oriental, established by local farmers in 1992.

The more than 200 photos featuring 63 species in this 24-page field guide were collected during 2021 and 2022. Mist nets were set almost daily in various habitats to study the predatory behavior of insectivorous birds.

Nets were opened early and checked hourly until late afternoon. Captured birds were measured, photographed, and had feather samples sent to UNMSM (The National University of San Marcos, Lima) for analysis. Birds were released either immediately or after up to 30 hours of behavioral experiments, always in the same spot and under good weather conditions.

Authors: Pável Matos-Maraví, César Ramírez Garc, Daniel Linke, Letty Salinas Sánchez, Jacqueline Hernández Mejía, Valery Nicole Paquita Eche Navarro.

https://science.fieldmuseum.org/fieldguides/guides/guide/1737

Caño Mitimiti, located in the municipality of Puerto Gaitán, Meta, Colombia, has long served as a vibrant hub for Biology student fieldwork at the Universidad de Los Llanos. Most Zoology fieldwork is conducted there, taking advantage of the area’s rich natural resources. This guide was created to support students attending ichthyology courses during fieldwork. It provides a practical and straightforward reference for identifying species. By connecting students with nature through hands-on activity, this 9-page field guide builds environmental awareness and commitment to fish conservation.

Download the complete guide on our webpage.
https://science.fieldmuseum.org/fieldguides/guides/guide/1704

Authors:
Laura Yinet Suarez Contento, Leandro Rodriguez Umana, Miguel Ángel Cortés Hernández, Jefer Danny Cano Calderon, Luis Felipe Collazos Lasso, Elizabeth Aya Baquero

Visit our website (https://science.fieldmuseum.org/fieldguides) to acquire your free copy of our brand-new field guide of “Selected Herbaceous Plants of the Missão Velha Waterfall Geosites”, State of Ceará, Brazil.

Herbaceous plants have flexible stems and a short life cycle; they grow, bloom, and complete their cycle in a few months or even a year. Because they are less studied than trees and shrubs, they often go unnoticed, but they are an essential part of the Caatinga, the predominant vegetation in the region.

Showcasing 50 unique species, this guide is a testament to the passion and curiosity of Biological Sciences undergraduates at URCA (Universidade Regional do Cariri). Through hands-on fieldwork, floristic survey, and research, students bridged the gap between classroom learning and real-world discovery in the heart of the study area.

When knowledge is within reach, our relationship with nature undergoes a transformation. This field guide opens doors for learners of all backgrounds, offering hands-on insights into local flora and supporting conservation efforts by highlighting the Caatinga’s irreplaceable ecosystem.

https://science.fieldmuseum.org/fieldguides/guides/guide/1802

Authors: José Francisco Erison Silva, Janilson Santos de Jesus, Josefa Ricarte da Silva, Maria Arlene Pessoa da Silva, Valéria da Silva Sampaio