Richard Crossley

Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award winning author of ‘The Crossley ID Guide’ series. Crazy, wildly passionate, and driven are just a few of the words used to describe his love of birding and nature.

Born in Yorkshire, he also lived in Japan, and birded worldwide before settling down in his beloved Cape May, NJ. He currently spends his time between the mountains of Southern California and Palm Beach County, Florida.

After one of his frequent mid-life crises at the turn of the millennium, Richard decided it was time to spend less time obsessively birding and to focus on paying it forward. Sometimes called crazy (his badge of honor), wildly passionate, and driven, Richard’s focus is youth birding, and connecting people to a fuller appreciation and understanding of nature and its benefits to mind, body, and soul.

Richard’s most recent books The Crossley ID Guide: Western Birds and Ornitherapy (co-authored with Holly Merker and Sophie Crossley) were published April 2021. Both books continue to connect us all to nature with a stronger appreciation and understanding of our common ground and its many health benefits.

The Crossley ID Guide is more than just a guide to birds – it provides a new perspective on how we look at books and nature. Different from any book previously published, it makes the reader pay attention to shapes, patterns, behavior, and other details presented in this type of artwork. It pushes the reader to think about what they are seeing. Recognized with multiple awards, this series has created a movement for other wildlife guides to paint by pixels, and depict habitat, behavior, and wildlife in a more lifelike manner. These are books for anyone who loves nature.

Richard is also co-founder of the global birding initiative Pledge to Fledge (www.pledgetofledge.org), Race4Birds (www.race4birds.org), and The Cape May Young Birders Club. He has contributed to most major birding publications, is frequently heard on radio, and is a highly sought-after public speaker. He served on the board of directors at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. He firmly believes that the time is right to popularize birding in the USA and other parts of the world.

When recently asked why he takes on so many projects, his answer, “it beats working” sums up his passion for everything outdoors.