The two first guides are the only comprehensive guides for Peru:

A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru, by James Clements and Noam Shany
The only guides that covers all the birds of Peru in one compact Volume. The information in the text is rather poor and many of the plates are not very good. However it is an essential book if you want to come birding in Peru. There is no other comprehensive bird identification guide for Peru so far. (ca. 55-65 US$)

Where Watch Birds in Peru, by Thomas Valqui
The only comprehensive Peruvian bird-finding guide. It covers over 150 sites which includes all classic Peru sites and many described for the first time. Essential as a consultation guide if you come to Peru, even if you come with a tour company. It gives a quite good idea what bird-watching in Peru means. It includes an up to date complete checklist. (ca. 30-39 US$)

Peru: Natural Eden of Birds, by Thomas Valqui
This coffee- table book is a good introduction to Peru´s birdlife. In an agile text it goes over Peruvian Birds history, diversity, endemism, threat, main biogeographic units and birdwatching. The text is accompanied by great pictures of Peruvian birds. (ca. 65 US$)

An Annotated Checklist of Peruvian Birds, by Ted Parker, Susan Allen, and Manuel Plenge, from 1987 is becoming rather outdated as ornithological advances are made, but still provides excellent information and still the only published checklist for Peru.(out of print?: ca. 25 US$)

The Birds of the Department of Lima, Perú, by Maria Koepcke.
Despite having black-and–white illustrations it is a good identification aid and covers all the species of the department of Lima. This is a Peruvian classic that is apparently out of print. (ca. 25-30 US$)

A Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu, by Barry Walker (illustrated by Jon Fjeldså)
This is complete new guide with color illustrations of the birds of Machu Picchu and surroundings. Maybe the only good bird guide for a Peruvian site, and then, its about a site like Machu Picchu. Useful for areas extending well beyond the Sacred Valley. (ca. 30-35 US$)

If you are serious about birding in Peru and South America, and are planning on birding here more than just once, the following are guides you should seriously consider:

Birds of South America, two Volumes, by Robert Ridgely and Guy Tudor.
This is a very complete guide, but it only covers all the passerine birds. It has a great text and includes range maps. Unfortunately not all treated birds are illustrated and unless you take out the plates, it is not really a field-guide. If you plan to do more birding in South America this is a recommended book to buy and have as an office source. ca. 55-65 US$ each Volume)

Birds of the High Andes, by Jon Fjeldså and Niels Krabbe,
This classic book has a great text with range maps, and is well illustrated, including many subspecies. If you are planning on doing some birding in the Andes then this book is an excellent aid. (ca. 140-160 US$)

The Birds of Ecuador, two Volumes, by Robert Ridgely and Paul Greenfield
One volume is a well illustrated guide with detailed species descriptions that covers all Ecuador. It works great for northern Peru and well for all Amazonian Peru. The second volume is a species account with more distributional and taxonomic detail about each species (ca. 40-50 US$ each)

Birds of Colombia by Steven Hilty
This used to be the book to use in the Peruvian Amazon. Now the books mentioned before have made this one less necessary. Nevertheless, if you already have it will prove quite useful in the Amazon.(45-55 US$)

Birds of Chile by Alvaro Jaramillo, illustrated by Peter Burke & David Beadle
An excellent guide, all in all. If you are planning on birding on the southern coast of Peru and/or doing a pelagic, then this book is an excellent option. It’s small and handy to carry in the field. (ca. 20-25 US$)

These are not field guides, nor will they give any information on how to identify birds or where to find them.. These are texts that you can read as novels and learn a lot about the tropics and birds in the tropics. We highly recommend reading them since they will significantly increase your understanding and enjoyment of the Peruvian rainforest during your visit. You will find them in most major libraries. If you want to own them, these books might be difficult to find in Peruvian bookstores, so plan buying them through Amazon or something alike.

Birds of Tropical America: A Watcher's Introduction to Behavior, Breeding and Diversity (The Curious Naturalist)
by Steven L. Hilty

A real must for any birdwatcher coming to the tropics. It reads easy and explains many of the questions we will be asking ourselves while birding: Why are there so many species? Do antbirds eat ants? Why are tropical birds like parrots and quetzels so much more colorful than temperate bird species? How can a vulture soaring thousands of feet above the canopy spot a dead mouse on the rain forest floor? Why do mixed flocks flock? Hilty, zoologist and leader of birding tours throughout South and Central America, offers an interesting, lively discussion of these and other matters touching rain forest bird communities, migration, courtship rituals and nesting habitats, feather color and patterns, foraging techniques and song patterns. (ca. 13 US$)

Tropical Nature : Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata

This book does not go so much into birds but it is a beautiful introduction to the extraordinary richness of the tropical forests. A book of Tropical Biology but in a language that is crisp and clear, very easy to read and follow. Either this one or the next one is a must for anyone who wants to enjoy the tropical rainforests.

A Neotropical Companion by John Kricher

A Neotropical Companion is an extraordinarily readable introduction to the American tropics, the countries of Central and South America, their remarkable rainforests and other ecosystems, and the creatures that live there. There is a second edition which has been substantially revised and expanded to incorporate the abundance of new scientific information that has been produced since it was first published in 1989. (ca. 20 US$)

A Parrot Without a Name: The Search for the Last Unknown Birds on Earth
by Don Stap

Traveling with ornithologists John O'Neill and Ted Parker on two separate expeditions into the Peruvian rain forest, Don Stap gives a firsthand account of the gritty realities and unexpected triumphs of fieldwork in the South American jungle. He describes the thrill of discovering previously unknown species of birds--and the sobering realization that "progress" is fast destroying both habitat and inhabitants in the rain forest. (ca. 20 US$)