I’ve now spent several weeks off and on with the new and certainly unconventional “The Crossley ID Guide Eastern Birds,” by Richard Crossley. I made the point of attending a meeting of the New York City Audubon, as I knew that he would be presenting on the new book. I bought the book on the spot and immediately felt compelled to share my enthusiasm for the Crossley approach, not as a bird guide reviewer but with a shoot from the hip, first impressions, from the point of view of an interested amateur birder. So what follows is really a non-review, review.

Every moment that I have spent working through the pages of the guide reinforces the notion that he has done an exceptional, even a remarkable job. You can simply flip a page and start a fresh journey of discovery into a familiar species or the next tick on the life list. The real danger is that each plate can hijack you and suck far more time away than intended. There is so much in each plate to take in. Richard has not only gone outside the box, he has created an entirely new box. He chose to march to a different beat, and offers this novel approach of showing various views of birds in their environment. This should help interested birders learn what to expect and more importantly help them relate to what they actually observe, and this should apply to all, no matter whatever level of prior experience.

The Crossley ID Guide Book, Plate Name, American Oystercatcher, Page 154. Copyright 2011 © by Richard Crossley. All Rights Reserved.

Richard Crossley has given careful consideration to how human beings actually see birds in natural settings, and he has worked incredibly hard to show each bird in its typical environment throughout all the plates. Each plate is augmented with depictions of birds in various plumages, typical poses with many angles, flight shots, relative sizes near and far, and many commonly observed behaviors including foraging, flocking, perching, flying and singing etc.

To me, the bountiful and detailed illustrations are telling stories about the birds that I can relate to. This is how I have always looked at birds; they are a part of a natural world. This environmental approach ties the elements together and offers a compelling and natural thought process for the viewer who is trying to learn the birds. To me it makes complete sense and is so obvious that it is brilliant!

I have always wondered why most of the bird guides have birds on white backgrounds? It seems unnatural. Everywhere you look at real birds they are found with real backgrounds, not on white. I do know that it is sometimes difficult for me to relate the illustration of a flat bird on white to one in a natural setting without understanding it’s habitat.

I was one of the lucky ones; I had parents deeply interested in the natural world. I followed my mother around as she looked at her own backyard through a camera lens. Richard spoke of his journey towards the guide with his camera and it re-inspired me; it was a good reminder that there still are photographers who value traditional tradecraft but have evolved through progressive technology to a new level. There are not many who would take such a chance on forward thinking and then be confident enough to break the mold because it seemed like the right thing to do. It only takes a few visionaries to make a real difference in the world. Thank you Richard, you have broken the mold with The Crossley ID Guide Book and set the bar higher for all. Hurray!