American Birding Association

History

In December 1968, in the first issue (volume 0, number 0) of The Birdwatcher's Digest, Jim Tucker proposed the formation of a group to be known as the "American Birdwatchers' Association" for the exchange of information and the comparison of birding lists.

On the suggestion of Stuart Keith, the next issue of Tucker's newsletter bore the name Birding (volume 1, number 1). This January/February 1969 issue included a statement of intentions and objectives and three pages of lists, including the birders with the top ten lists for the world and for the area then covered by the checklist of the American Ornithologists' Union. The organization was renamed the American Birding Association. Expressly excluding conservation advocacy and ornithological research, the ABA's initial focus was on the hobby and sport of birding. Through its publications and events, the early ABA sought to connect avid birders, establish rules for listing, and communicate the latest identification techniques. By 1970, the organization had more than 500 members.

The first officers included Keith as president, Arnold Small as vice president, and Tucker as secretary and treasurer. Shortly thereafter, Joseph W. Taylor became treasurer, and Bob Smart joined as second vice president. Benton Basham became membership chairman in 1971, and was responsible for much of the organization's growth.

Beginning with volume 3 (1971), Birding was redesigned as a magazine; the annual page count increased to 258 from 96 in 1970. The last issue of 1971 introduced a new full-color logo, designed by Guy Tudor, with the image of a red-billed tropicbird.

The ABA held its first convention in 1973 in Kenmare, North Dakota and its second in Leamington, Ontario.

Subsequent presidents of the organization have included Arnold Small (1976-1979), Joseph W. (Joe) Taylor (1979-1983), Lawrence G. (Larry) Balch (1983-1989), and Allan Keith (1989-1993; 1997–1999). As of 2022, Julie Davis is the current board chair and interim president of the ABA.

Membership rose to 6,500 by October 1986 and first exceeded 10,000 in October 1992. The ABA attained a high of 22,000 members in 2001.

A monthly newsletter, Winging It, was published from 1989 to 2012. In 1998, the ABA assumed responsibility for the publication of the National Audubon Society's journal Field Notes, subsequently renamed North American Birds. The quarterly "Birder's Guide" first appeared in 2013.

In 2000, the ABA assumed management of the Institute for Field Ornithology workshops conducted by the University of Maine at Machias.

The ABA's mission has expanded to support conservation and research efforts, beginning with its partnership with Birders' Exchange, a program supplying research equipment to young scientists in Central and South America. Conservation-oriented content began to appear more frequently in Birding with the 2001 volume.