130905_newjersey_cover_rc01Of all the projects I’ve seen the American Birding Association enter into over the years, their recent partnering with Scott & Nix Publishing to create a new series of state-level field guides to birds is by far, in my humble opinion at least, the most beneficial to the bird watching community. Written by authors who are not only experts in the field identification of birds but also intimately familiar with the states about which they are writing, the new ABA Field Guides are a very promising development for American bird watching indeed.

Thus far three have been published: the Field Guide to Birds of New Jersey by Rick Wright, the Field Guide to Birds of Florida by Bill Pranty, and the Field Guide to Birds of Colorado by Ted Floyd. Three more have already been announced for publication in the Spring of 2015: the Field Guide to Birds of Pennsylvania by George L. Armistead, the Field Guide to Birds of Massachusetts by Wayne R. Petersen, and the Field Guide to Birds of California by Alvaro Jaramillo. Each one, both published as well as announced for publication thus far, feature the photographs of Brian E. Small.

While samples have just recently arrived on my desk, an initial examination makes it very clear that these are true field guides; their size, format, and physical composition all clearly convey that they will well withstand the rigors of field use.

I’m very much looking forward to spending quite a bit more time with each of these new field guides to really get an in-depth look between the covers, as well a reporting back to my readers what I find.