Preface
by Virginia Marie Peterson
Text: 1 2 3 4    Plate Detail: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

In the original 1934 edition of A Field Guide to the Birds, there were only four plates in color, with 26 in black and white. In the 1947 edition, all the old plates were retired and replaced by 60 new ones, with 36 in color. The 1980 edition progressed to 136 color plates. In this fifth edition, the progression continues, with Peterson offering 151 color plates with more than 1,800 bird paintings. Eighty-five plates have had birds added or modified, fifty-nine plates are from the fourth edition, and seven plates are totally new.

Roger delayed finishing his final plate of accidental flycatchers for months, trying to get more information on La Sagra's Flycatcher. On the day he died, he was working on the flycatchers. This last bird plate is unfinished and is included in the front matter of the book. Roger's struggle to paint his final birds is evident.

Virginia Marie Peterson