This is an informative book but has black and white pictures, with research data mostly +30 years old.Information presented in this book is he definitive work on birds in Delaware and should be in the reference library of anyone with an interest in mid-Atlantic birds historical and recent occurrence, migration periods, wintering numbers and breeding dates.An outstanding, detailed book! This is a reference book, far from a field guide. I wish that there were similar books for other states.I refer to this frequently for birding here in Delaware. Excellent resource on species details.Needed color pics to help to identify them. So I returned bookThis book represents the culmination of 5 years of intensive bird monitoring conducted across the entire state during the spring and summer in order to document the breeding distribution of literally hundreds of species, as well as a description of their occurrence and abundance at other times of the year (since several species are only found in Delaware on migration or during the winter). Data are also provided for the various species on timing of breeding, plus typical dates of arrival and departure, as well as historic and notable records. The coverage is remarkable, albeit for such a small state, and I suspect birders from several states look at these maps and data with a twinge of envy.The book is arranged in a very convenient format with each species being represented by an elegant sketch and a brief description of its habitat together with a map showing its breeding range (if it's a summer resident) and in some cases, bar charts showing when individuals have been banded in the state. I realize this is the standard format for regional atlases but I certainly found it very accessible. The book also includes some very informative chapters about the history of ornithology in the state, conservation of Delaware birds, and the range of habitats present. There are also several enjoyable essays on aspects of the biology of particular groups of birds found in the state, such as snow geese, hawk migration, winter irruptions, Delaware bay's shorebirds and blackbird roosts, all of which were written by very informed local scientists, most of whom speak from direct experience.On the down side the book is perhaps a little out of date (2000) as the breeding distribution data were collected in 1983-7 (though the other data on timing, occurrence etc are more recent). I don't think this is a big deal however, as it's hard to believe many species have had a dramatic change in distribution of abundance since then (though a few evidently have). All in all, I love this book. It has a great 'feel', it is wonderfully and professionally written, and the data are high quality. It's the kind of book that's great to have on your shelf so that whenever you see a particular bird you can find out if it's an unusual record. This book is an absolute must for Delaware birders, and even those in neighboring states. I recommend you buy it while it's still available!!!Excellent source of information on the species found in Delaware as well as nearby areas.