Sized for backpack or pocket, each 272-page volume highlights a single state or two and covers 125 species (each with a photograph and range map), with local expertise provided by experienced birders.

Even novice birders will make quick and confident identifications thanks to the uncluttered, easy-to-use format. An introductory locator map pinpoints top birding sites, and customized range maps detail each species' winter, breeding, migration, and resident ranges.

New York boasts a rich mix of city and country birds, from Long Island waterfowl to Niagara's famous gulls and various high-latitude Adirondack species. Springtime hawk-watching makes Derby Hill Bird Observatory a favorite; at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in the Finger Lakes, seasonal migrations promise sightings galore, while New York City's Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge shelters birds of interest all year.