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American Birding Association:
Birdfinding Guides

The books are listed by publication date with the most recent at the top.

American Birding Association

- ABA Field Guides

- ABA Birdfinding Guides

- M'graphs in Field Ornithology

- other publications

For more information see the ABA website

A Birder's Guide to Washington

Jane Hadley

American Birding Association

2nd edition

2015

"This revised version of A Birder's Guide to Washington brings current the 2003 first edition, and, in the process, adds a number of new destinations, while eliminating a few that are no longer worthwhile. The guide details hundreds of birding routes and sites in the state, together with year-round access instructions and birding advice. Over 220 maps pinpoint the most productive destinations in the field and offer regional overviews to help with trip planning. An annotated checklist of 510 species recorded in the state through 2014 gives information about status and habitat associations, while the seasonal abundance and regional occurrence bar graphs will assist birders in locating regularly occurring species."

A Birder's Guide to Louisiana

Richard Gibbons, Roger Breedlove, Charles Lyon

American Birding Association

2013

"If you like seeing large numbers of birds, you'll love Louisiana. Although Louisiana may not have the life-listers appeal of some of the border states, probably no state in the USA can compete with Louisiana in terms of bird spectacles. Bird density, in general, is higher in Louisiana than almost anywhere in the country, and some of the concentrations are stunning. This birdfinding guide will help more people appreciate Louisiana for the special birding area that it is. A Birder's Guide to Louisiana will guide you to the best birding spots in Louisiana. Contains descriptions, maps, species lists, and directions for over 100 sites."

A Birder's Guide to Belize

Bert Frenz

American Birding Association

2013

"One of the world's premier birding destinations, Belize can be the perfect introduction to tropical birding for those new to the tropics and a birding paradise for all levels of birders. The country's dozens of great birding sites spread across the contrasting habitats of the famous barrier reef and tropical islands, to the coastal plain and its renowned lagoons and rivers through lush rainforest, to the highlands of Mountain Pine Ridge with stunning waterfalls and the Maya Mountains that hide ancient Maya ruins. This small country proffers a friendly, English-speaking population proud of its conservation ethic, excellent lodging, and superb birding - all combining to make a trip to Belize one that no birder should miss! A Birder's Guide to Belize has all the information that the visiting birder will need: Descriptions of over 100 birding sites, including a special section on nearby Tikal National Park in Guatemala. Help in locating the Belize specialty birds, among the 591 species recorded in Belize."

A Birder's Guide to the Rio Grande Valley

Mark W. Lockwood, William B. McKinney, James N. Paton, Barry R. Zimmer

American Birding Association

4th edition

2008

"A Birder's Guide to the Rio Grande Valley is designed to help you locate not only the specialty birds of the Rio Grande Valley - those not occurring elsewhere in North America - but also to find the more common birds of the region. Birding begins in the wonderland of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, detailing routes designed to help you make the most of your visit at any time of year. The guide deviates from "the Valley" to cover the Edwards Plateau, the Davis Mountains, the Pecos Valley, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Special attention is given to the world-renowned regional hotspots: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Big Bend National Park, the Davis Mountains, as well as the El Paso and Las Cruces, NM, areas. In addition to descriptions of over 230 birding sites, the authors - all of them long-time Texas birders - have completely updated the Annotated Checklist, covering more than 500 species."

A Birder's Guide to Alaska

George C. West

American Birding Association

2nd edition

2008

"Details birding routes and travel logistics for over 60 locations, including over 120 detailed route maps. This is the first site guide to cover the entire state, the road system, the North Slope, Western Alaska, the Bering Sea Islands, the Aleutians, Southeast Alaska and the entire Alaska highway. The status of more than 500 species of birds in Alaska - and dozens of field-identifiable subspecies - is treated in the Annotated List. Regional distribution and your probability of seeing species are covered in a Checklist chart."

A Birder's Guide to Southern California

Brad Schram

American Birding Association

5th edition

2007

A detailed guide to the birds and birding sites of Southern California.

A Birder's Guide to the Texas Coast

Mel Cooksey and Ron Weeks

American Birding Association

5th edition

2006

"One of the world's premier birding destinations, the Texas coast is home to an amazing number of migrating and wintering birds, as well as many "specialty" resident and nesting species. The habitat diversity ranges from the Pineywoods to the Gulf prairies, from the coastal wetlands to the South Texas subtropics. The spring migration of neotropical birds along the coast is one of North America's most remarkable birding spectacles. And the region is host to some the nation's largest congregations of herons, egrets, rails, shorebirds, gulls, and terns at any season. The long-awaited revision by Mel Cooksey and Ron Weeks, will be an indispensable as your field guide. There are Species Accounts for over 170 Texas specialties, and more than 70 new sites, for a total of over 200 birding stops, as well as bar-graphs for 388 regularly occurring Texas Coast species."

A Birder's Guide to Southeastern Arizona

Richard Cachor Taylor

American Birding Association

2nd edition

2005

"Great year-round birding, grand scenery, and a birdlist that includes some of the most sought-after and beautiful birds in all of North America – these were the inspirations for Jim Lane when he wrote the first Lane Guide in 1965. Three decades later, Richard Cachor Taylor, a near-lifetime resident of Southeastern Arizona, bird-tour guide, and author, completed a totally revised edition of that first guide in the Lane series. And now, Rick has authored a second edition of his essential guide to Southeastern Arizona, which includes: expanded bar graphs, keyed to habitats, with seasonal and abundance information for 514 species; the annotated "specialties" section, a Lane Guide hallmark, provides information on the best places to find over 240 of the most interesting birds of SE Arizona; and maps, directions, and birding tips for the newest birding hotspots, as well as complete updates of the maps from the first edition."

A Birder's Guide to Florida

Bill Pranty

American Birding Association

5th edition

2005

"For international birders Florida offers an accessible, comfortable introduction to subtropical birding. North American birders savor Florida as the place to see species not found elsewhere in the US and Canada, such as Snail Kite, Short-tailed Hawk, Black-hooded Parakeet, Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo, or Florida Scrub-Jay. These are but a few of the Florida specialties that make a trip to the Sunshine State such an exciting adventure for all birders. Bill Pranty, with the help of dozens of the state's birders, has now rewritten his acclaimed 4th edition. More than 330 birding sites are described, and more than 400 species accounts are now included. A Birder's Guide to Florida's comprehensive introduction helps birders to understand seasonal bird distribution in Florida's various habitats. Whether you are hoping to see fairly common birds such as White-crowned Pigeon, or are searching for elusive birds such as Black Rail, or wish to be surprised by the discovery of an unconventional bird such as Scaly-headed Parrot, this birdfinding guide and your field guide are the only books you'll need."

A Birder's Guide to Michigan

Allen T. Chartier and Jerry Ziarno

American Birding Association

2004

"A Birder's Guide to Michigan describes over 200 sites, with details on each site's birds, best seasons, and driving directions, accompanied by 200-plus maps. Thoroughly researched bar graphs describe the seasonal status and abundance of the state's regularly occurring species, and an annotated list of specialties will guide birders to some of North America's most sought-after species. A bonus is an appendix listing the state's amphibians and reptiles, butterflies and dragonflies, mammals, and orchids - Michigan is home to a stunning and sometimes rare assortment of these gorgeous plants."

A Birder's Guide to Washington

Hal Opperman

American Birding Association

2003

"A Birder's Guide to Washington details hundreds of birding routes and sites in the state and adjacent areas in British Columbia, together with year-round access instructions and birding advice. Over 220 maps pinpoint the most productive destinations in the field and offer regional overviews to help with trip planning. An annotated checklist of 478 species recorded in the state through 2002 gives information about status and habitat associations, while the seasonal abundance/regional occurrence bar graphs will assist birders in locating regularly occurring species. Authoritative lists of Washington's mammals, herps, butterflies, and dragonflies are provided. Members of the Washington Ornithological Society were instrumental in contributing site descriptions or information about their local areas as well as in field-checking the text and maps. Master Artist Tony Angell has illustrated the guide. A Birder's Guide to Washington, the eighteenth ABA Birdfinding Guide, is based on and expanded from Terence R. Wahl and Dennis R. Paulson's A Guide to Bird Finding in Washington, since 1971 the definitive source for birding the state."

A Birder's Guide to Alaska

George C. West

2002

"A Birder's Guide to Alaska gives you the detailed information you need to find the Great Lands great birds. Over 60 locations are covered, including the state's entire road system, the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia through the Yukon to Alaska, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, and the Alaska Marine Highway from British Columbia to Alaska. Special attention is given to providing birding information for the larger communities of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, in addition to Alaska's popular tourist destinations: Denali National Park, the Inside Passage, the Kenai Peninsula, and Nome. Year-round birding information is included for most locations."

A Birder's Guide to Metropolitan Areas of North America

Editor: Paul Lehman

American Birding Association

2001

Includes sites in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Halifax, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, and Winnipeg

A Birder's Guide to the Rio Grande Valley

Mark W. Lockwood, William B. McKinney, James N. Paton, Barry R. Zimmer

American Birding Association

3rd edition

1999

A 280 page guide to birdwatching sites in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

A Birder's Guide to the Bahama Islands (Including Turks and Caicos)

Anthony W. White

American Birding Association

1998

"A Birder's Guide to the Bahamas is the first comprehensive guide to finding birds on the islands of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos. The islands host an unusual mix of Caribbean and North American species, with over 300 bird species recorded. The parks and refuges of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos protect a great diversity of subtropical birds, among them the Bahama Parrot (an endemic subspecies of Cuban Parrot), and many North American wintering birds, including the endangered Kirtland's Warbler. The New World's largest flamingo colony nests on Great Inagua in the southern Bahamas, where thousands of Greater Flamingoes are protected by the country's largest national park. These fantastic birding opportunities, combined with the Bahamas' spectacular turquoise waters and a glorious tropical climate, will make the Bahamas one of the top new destinations for North America's traveling birders. A Birder's Guide to the Bahamas - with complete descriptions by Tony White of more than 150 birding sites - guides birders to all of the major islands, numerous smaller cays, and the less developed "Family Islands." ABA's first non-North American guide also features a beautiful eight-page Photo Gallery of many of the Bahamian specialty birds, several of which show up with some regularity in Florida."

A Birder's Guide to Southern California

Brad Schram

American Birding Association

1998

A Birder's Guide to Idaho

Daniel Svingen and Kas Dumroese

American Birding Association

1997

A guide to birdwatching sites.

A Birder's Guide to Virginia

David W. Johnston

American Birding Association

1997

A guide to over 70 birdwatching sites in the state.

A Birder's Guide to Colorado

Harold R. Holt

American Birding Association

1997

"Colorado has a wonderful diversity of birds, offering exciting specialties and serendipitous finds to birders from every part of the continent. Most people associate Colorado with its Rocky Mountains - easily accessible right up to the tundra in every season of the year. Winter-plumaged White-tailed Ptarmigan, the same color as snow - as shown in the author's cover photograph from Guanella Pass - is high on any birder's wish list, but on the way up to see it, you will also find the three species of rosy-finch and an excellent variety of jays, woodpeckers, and winter finches. The Rockies is but one of the bird habitats for which Colorado is well known. The Eastern Plains, at their best on Pawnee National Grassland, offer such breeding specialties as Mountain Plover and McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs. In April you may watch Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chickens on their strutting grounds. The Western Plateaus and Valleys, which comprise the western third of Colorado, have their own specialties - Sage and Sharp-tailed Grouse, Chukar Gray Vireo, Black-throated and Crace's Warblers, and many more."

A Birder's Guide to Florida

Bill Pranty

American Birding Association

4th edition

1996

A Birder's Guide to New Hampshire

Alan Delorey

American Birding Association

1996

A guide to birding sites and tours in the state.

A Birder's Guide to Arkansas

Mel White

1995

A guide to birding sites plus status and distribution information.

Birdfinder: A Birder's Guide to Planning North American Trips

Jerry A. Cooper

American Birding Association

1995

"This book is based on the premise that birders can successfully plan to find a vast number of species of birds in North America, as long as they are armed with information about where to go, when to go, and what to expect. Birdfinder outlines nineteen key trips designed to produce a list of over 650 species in North America. Jerry Cooper makes this possible both economically and efficiently. Cooper summarizes the Key, Possible, Probable, and Remotely Possible birds to be seen on each of the nineteen trips, with details on transportation, accommodations, special equipment, and the birdfinding guides you will need. The specialties and key species for each of these trips are outlined in detail. This is a planning guide, illustrating a strategy for successful North American birdfinding."

A Birder's Guide to Eastern Massachusetts

American Birding Association

A guide to birdwatching sites.

A Birder's Guide to Churchill

Bonnie Chartier

American Birding Association

1994

A guide to birding sites around Churchill, Manitoba.

A Birder's Guide to Wyoming

Oliver K. Scott

American Birding Association

1992

A guide to birding sites in the state.

A Birder's Guide to the Rio Grande Valley Of Texas

Harold H. Holt

American Birding Association

2nd edition

1992

A 190 page guide to birding sites.