Synopses & Reviews
David Allen Sibley, America's most gifted contemporary painter of birds, is the author and illustrator of this comprehensive guide. His beautifully detailed illustrations more than 6,600 in all and descriptions of 810 species and 350 regional populations will enrich every birder's experience.
The Sibley Guide's innovative design makes it entirely user friendly. The illustrations are arranged to facilitate comparison, yet still capture the unique character of each species.
The Sibley Guide to Birds provides a wealth of new information:
- Captioned illustrations show many previously unpublished field marks and revisions of known marks
- Nearly every species is shown in flight
- Measurements include length, wingspan, and weight for every species
- Subspecies and geographic varients are covered thoroughly
- Complete voice descriptions are included for every species
- Maps show the complete distribution of every species: summer and winter ranges, migration routes, and rare occurrences
Both novice and experienced birders will appreciate these and other innovative features:
- An introductory page for each family or group of related families makes comparisons simple
- Clear and concise labels with pointers identify field marks directly
- Birds are illustrated in similar poses to make comparisons between species quick and easy
- Illustrations emphasize the way birds look in the field
With
The Sibley Guide to Birds, the National Audubon Society makes the art and expertise of David Sibley available to the world in a comprehensive, handsome, easy-to-use volume that will be the indispensable identification guide every birder must own.
Review
"A must-have guide for anyone interested in birds." E. Vernon Laux, The New York Times
Review
"The bird-watching world knows Sibley best as an immensely talented painter. His thick, attractive and data-packed color guide offers nearly 7,000 images, along with range maps and detailed descriptions of songs, calls and voices, for all the birds North Americans might see." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Intelligent organization and design create a new classic...an impressive new guide." Scientific American Editors
Review
"David Sibley's new Field Guide to Birds is stunning. If God is in the details, then this new bird book is inspired. Sibley's illustrations are a labor of love born out of a lifetime of acute observation and passion. His attention to subtleties could only have been noted by watching each species of bird in the field over time. It is this kind of aesthetic and deep patience that makes each page a visual delight. Call the Sibley Guide an ecological testament to the majesty of birds in all their variations. I can hardly wait to take this book in hand and go birding with new eyes." Terry Tempest Williams
Review
"The artwork is gorgeous and the writing clear and crisp....No other bird guide is easier to get used to or more comprehensive." Michael Sims, BookPage.com
Review
"High-quality paper and a sturdy binding, along with a new type of flexible cover, gives us a book that will stand up to the heavy use that it is bound to get....Stunningly illustrated...Undoubtedly the finest guide to North American birds....The consistency in artistic style and breadth of plumage coverage, along with David Sibley's vast knowledge on the subject, combine to give North American birders a guide far superior to all previously available. I stand in awe; I have nothing but praise." Guy McCaskie, Birding
Synopsis
The entire birding world, from expert ornithologists to backyard enthusiasts, has been waiting for Sibley's work to be made available in a field-usable form. Containing the renowned artist's superbly lucid and comprehensive text, this guide features more than 6,500 of his detailed paintings. Full color.
About the Author
David Allen Sibley, son of the well-known ornithologist Fred Sibley, began seriously watching and drawing birds in 1969, at age seven. He has written and illustrated articles on bird identification for Birding and American Birds (now Field Notes) as well as regional publications and books. Since 1980 David has traveled the continent watching birds on his own and as a tour leader for WINGS, Inc. He has lived in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. He now lives in Concord, Massachusetts.