Book review by Rainer Niemann on “Go West for Parrots – A South American Odyssey ” by Rosemary Low

(Insignis Publications, ISBN 978-0-9531337-6-5, £11.95) published in the April 2010 issue of Papageien,

translated from the German original text by the website editor.

Rosemary Low has written a new book. This is not unusual news as the British parrot expert has published in her life so far more than

20 titles, which have been translated into eight languages, as well as numerous articles in newspapers and journals. The latest work

“Go West for Parrots! – A South American Odyssey “, however, is unusual and certainly the most personal book to-date by the author.

She looks back on 35 years, during which she has had a deep abiding interest in parrots from Central and South America. The neo-tropical

regions with their diversity of species and breath-taking scenery, from the Amazon rain forest to the Paramό regions of the Andes, have

been traversed by Rosemary Low many times since 1975 and she relates her experiences in her book (published in English) with its 318 pages

– of course mainly from the viewpoint of a dedicated parrot lover and conservationist.

The supplementary title could be misinterpreted as she has not only travelled throughout South America, but also the Caribbean islands of

Jamaica and the Caymans as well as Mexico and Costa Rica. The Briton’s ventures could certainly not be described as wanderings. Her trips

were usually well-planned and organised as Low sees herself less as a “female Indiana Jones “ and rather more as ambassador for the

preservation of the parrot world, about which little was known in Europe in the 1970s.

A spectacular volume with impressive photos of the wild does not await the reader, but an interesting travel diary with all the highs and lows,

which travellers in remote regions generally may experience. The illustrations are monochrome and the maps drawn by hand. In contrast to

other travellers, who are only interested in seeking out parrots and parakeets and often wilfully ignore the country and its people, Rosemary

Low is also enthusiastic about humming birds, manakins, raptors and other rare avian species and describes comprehensively the not always

straight-forward working conditions of local conservationists and the life of the local people.

The author does not withhold her opinion of certain persons and projects and offers harsh criticism in extraordinarily sharp words where it

appears important to her. At the conclusion of a number of chapters she explains in updates her stance today to the experiences of the past

years or how the situation later developed. She condemns the destructive greed of oil companies, which in Ecuador seek to destroy the

“crown jewel” of the Amazon, praises the successful activities of conservationists in Costa Rica and Argentina, censures the trappers who

offer birds dyed with peroxide as rarities as well as the habitat destruction rolling over Central America.

It is gripping to see how things have changed in the time she has been involved (the author describes 23 journeys taken between 1975 and

2008). Among the many pleasing and positive events there are unfortunately also some sober facts and dismal prospects offered for parrots

in the wild. This situation was decisive for the author in writing this very readable book. Low wishes to alert the reader to the problems of

neo-tropical parrots before it is too late.

End