The ABA Robert Ridgway Award for Publications in Field Ornithology is an

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

given by the

American Birding Association The American Birding Association (ABA) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, dedicated to recreational birdwatching, birding in Canada and the United States. It has been called "the standard-bearer for serious birding in North America." ...

to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field ornithology literature in the areas of North American bird distribution and field identification. The award may honor a writer or an artist. One of five awards presented by the ABA for contributions to

ornithology Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

, the award is named in honor of

Robert Ridgway Robert Ridgway (July 2, 1850 – March 25, 1929) was an American ornithologist specializing in systematics. He was appointed in 1880 by Spencer Fullerton Baird, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to be the first full-time curator of birds ...

, initiator of a monumental work of bird

systematics Systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: phylogenetic trees, phylogenies). Phy ...

, as well as one of the first color nomenclature systems for bird identification. The award was first bestowed on Harold Mayfield.

List of recipients

Source:

References

{{reflist Ornithology awards American Birding Association Awards established in 2002

List of recipients

See also

References