American Birding Association
The American Birding Association (ABA) is a non-profit organization of people interested in birding. Membership is open to all. Originally, many of its publications and programs have historically been aimed at birders who like making difficult field identifications and finding rare species, but in more recent years, the ABA membership has drawn more broadly from the entire range of birders. The ABA supports competitive birding by, among other things, encouraging members to submit the numbers of species they've observed—in their lifetime, in the current year, or in one day, for various regions—and publishing the numbers annually.
The ABA publishes Birding, its bimonthly magazine; North American Birds, a seasonal "journal of record" for North American birdlife; Winging It, a bimonthly newsletter for members; and maintains The Eyrie, a youth-oriented blog, and "PEEPS", a blog for rare bird sightings, taxonomy, and avian status and distribution.
The ABA also promulgates a "Code of Birding Ethics" to protect birds, the environment, and property owners from over-eager birders. It offers educational programs for young people. Its for-profit ABA Sales partners sell such things as bird guides and binoculars. In recent years, it has widened its mission to include conservation.
The Ludlow Griscom Award, presented by the ABA, is considered birding's highest honor.
External links
- Official website
- ABA Sales, ABA's for-profit partners
- "AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION A CLUB OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER" - Spokesman-Review
- "Guide to bird spotting in Alaska published" - HighBeam Research
- "Club Promotes Hobby and Sport of Birding" - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
- "J. TAYLOR, 78, LOVER OF BIRDS" - Philadelphia Inquirer
- "Birders flocking to SE Texas" - The Beaumont Enterprise