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What It's Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds Are Doing, and Why
In What It's Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special, large-format volume is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than two hundred species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author.
While its focus is on familiar backyard birds--blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees--it also examines certain species that can be fairly easily observed, such as the seashore-dwelling Atlantic puffin. David Sibley's
artwork and expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. (For most species, the primary illustration is reproduced life-sized.) And while the text is aimed at adults--including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad ways birds have adapted to environmental changes--it is nontechnical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with young children, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action.
While its focus is on familiar backyard birds--blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees--it also examines certain species that can be fairly easily observed, such as the seashore-dwelling Atlantic puffin. David Sibley's
artwork and expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. (For most species, the primary illustration is reproduced life-sized.) And while the text is aimed at adults--including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad ways birds have adapted to environmental changes--it is nontechnical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with young children, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
1206 people are currently reading
8210 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
January 5, 2021
One of the best pieces of advice I know is to develop an interest in something absolutely mundane. This way, you will be able to entertain yourself virtually anywhere. Even the most seemingly obvious features of everyday life very often contain surprises for those who investigate. This is most true of our faithful companions, birds—a truly amazing bunch of animals that we encounter every day.
If you would like an entrance to the avian world, you could do no better than this book. Very much a tome for the coffee table rather than a guide for the field, this hefty volume is a delightful combination of trivia and art. Though the book is apparently organized by bird species (mostly North American), in reality each species only serves to exemplify a wider point about birds—migration, feeding, skeletal structure, and so on. These miniature explanations are paired with quite lovely illustrations by Sibley, some life-sized (or roughly), and others diagrammatic. As a result, this book can be opened on any page and enjoyed.
Unless you are a bird fanatic, chances are that you will learn quite a lot. For my part, I was astonished on every other page. I had no idea, for example, that birds could sleep with only half of their brain (literally with one eye open), or that some birds can sleep in the air. Herons and egrets have evolved a way of calculating the optical distortion of water, so that they do not miss when they hunt for fish. Eagles see with four separate focal points (two per eye), and cormorants and other water birds have evolved flexible lenses that can allow them to focus in the water and the air. But I should not spoil the book.
As I hope you can see, though mundane, birds are anything but boring. This year I will do my best to continue learning. At the very least, birdwatching goes well with social distancing.
If you would like an entrance to the avian world, you could do no better than this book. Very much a tome for the coffee table rather than a guide for the field, this hefty volume is a delightful combination of trivia and art. Though the book is apparently organized by bird species (mostly North American), in reality each species only serves to exemplify a wider point about birds—migration, feeding, skeletal structure, and so on. These miniature explanations are paired with quite lovely illustrations by Sibley, some life-sized (or roughly), and others diagrammatic. As a result, this book can be opened on any page and enjoyed.
Unless you are a bird fanatic, chances are that you will learn quite a lot. For my part, I was astonished on every other page. I had no idea, for example, that birds could sleep with only half of their brain (literally with one eye open), or that some birds can sleep in the air. Herons and egrets have evolved a way of calculating the optical distortion of water, so that they do not miss when they hunt for fish. Eagles see with four separate focal points (two per eye), and cormorants and other water birds have evolved flexible lenses that can allow them to focus in the water and the air. But I should not spoil the book.
As I hope you can see, though mundane, birds are anything but boring. This year I will do my best to continue learning. At the very least, birdwatching goes well with social distancing.
June 18, 2020
Wonderfully detailed science in the pleasurable body of a picturebook for adults.
July 6, 2021
The first thing to say about this book, is that as a physical object, it's glorious. It has a nice solid cover and binding, it's chock full of full-color paintings and drawings, and it's got a satisfying heft to it that makes it pleasant to hold. I don't know if there's an electronic or audio version available, but it would be a very different experience. Sibley's artwork is more than half of the package, here, and is not to be missed.
There is an introductory section that covers some general topics like how feathers evolved, the various senses of birds (more than five), foraging tactics, and so forth. It was ok, but it was not the good part. The heart (and bulk) of the book has about two pages on each type of bird, usually a category like "grackles" that includes a few different species. There were interesting things to learn on every one of them, and it made reading about the quotidian (e.g. chickadees or geese) as intriguing as reading about the exceptional. In fact, most of the birds in this book are neither rare nor exotic, but Sibley does a great job of helping you to see each one with fresh eyes.
I read one bird section (i.e. about two pages) every morning, most often at a table in a coffeeshop patio by the river. The coots, herons, grackles, vultures, and LBG's ("little brown guys") that were visible all around interested me even more after each section. There is a continual drama of conflict, daring, romance, heartbreak (lots of love triangles in the spring), and all the other elements of a fine opera or melodrama going on all the time. It is, however, sometimes hard to remember to pay attention to it. With this book, it gets considerably easier.
There is an introductory section that covers some general topics like how feathers evolved, the various senses of birds (more than five), foraging tactics, and so forth. It was ok, but it was not the good part. The heart (and bulk) of the book has about two pages on each type of bird, usually a category like "grackles" that includes a few different species. There were interesting things to learn on every one of them, and it made reading about the quotidian (e.g. chickadees or geese) as intriguing as reading about the exceptional. In fact, most of the birds in this book are neither rare nor exotic, but Sibley does a great job of helping you to see each one with fresh eyes.
I read one bird section (i.e. about two pages) every morning, most often at a table in a coffeeshop patio by the river. The coots, herons, grackles, vultures, and LBG's ("little brown guys") that were visible all around interested me even more after each section. There is a continual drama of conflict, daring, romance, heartbreak (lots of love triangles in the spring), and all the other elements of a fine opera or melodrama going on all the time. It is, however, sometimes hard to remember to pay attention to it. With this book, it gets considerably easier.
August 16, 2020
Lovely reference book. The illustrations and information is excellent. It would be perfection if it had included a much needed index and in my opinion a ribbon place holder.
July 30, 2022
sooo why would anyone care about birds… Hmmmmm idk maybe bc they’re insanely cute, hilarious, genius dinosaurs with superpowers……
There are so many amazing facts in this book, they’re all flurrying around in my mind like dollar bills in a cash-grab machine from a gameshow. So I can’t recall any, but it’s fine bc I don’t need to sell you on this book… I just need to sell you on Birds.
So go subscribe to Korean Birder on YT: https://youtube.com/c/KoreanBirder
Btw, get a hummingbird feeder…….. You will be stunned and enchanted by those little guys when they show up
P.S. outdoor cats kill 1 Billion+ birds a year in the US (Yes really) [Most of that is probably done by feral cats/strays, but if you or anyone you know has a free roaming cat, lay down the law on them/yourself😯] {the cats will just be healthier & longer-living indoors anyway😏}
There are so many amazing facts in this book, they’re all flurrying around in my mind like dollar bills in a cash-grab machine from a gameshow. So I can’t recall any, but it’s fine bc I don’t need to sell you on this book… I just need to sell you on Birds.
So go subscribe to Korean Birder on YT: https://youtube.com/c/KoreanBirder
Btw, get a hummingbird feeder…….. You will be stunned and enchanted by those little guys when they show up
P.S. outdoor cats kill 1 Billion+ birds a year in the US (Yes really) [Most of that is probably done by feral cats/strays, but if you or anyone you know has a free roaming cat, lay down the law on them/yourself😯] {the cats will just be healthier & longer-living indoors anyway😏}
July 27, 2020
What a gorgeous book – Sibley has done it again!
Unlike his field guides, this visually stunning book is a compendium of fascinating facts about birds. There are equally beautiful full-sized paintings – one per species that he discusses – with tidbits of information on the opposite page.
There is still a lot that we don’t know about birds, and much that amazed me:
• Pigeons have been trained to read mammograms as well as humans can
• Eagles see four separate focal points, two on each side
• Some species of swifts stay in the air continuously for ten months of each year
• Crows can recognize us and associate people with good and bad experiences, and then communicate that to other crows.
• “There is no blue pigment in birds. The blue colors of the Eastern Bluebird and other species are produced by a structure that reflects blue light in all directions.”
• “Hermit Thrush songs use pitches that are mathematically related by simple ratios, and follow the same harmonic series as human music.”
This as a browsable reference book, richly detailed and informative. This is a section on “what to do if”: a bird hits a window, a live bird is in your house, etc. There are answers to questions such as – “Is my bird feeder making birds lazy?” In the end, Sibley makes clear the non-terrestrial nature of birds with eloquence and beauty.
-Marjorie
Unlike his field guides, this visually stunning book is a compendium of fascinating facts about birds. There are equally beautiful full-sized paintings – one per species that he discusses – with tidbits of information on the opposite page.
There is still a lot that we don’t know about birds, and much that amazed me:
• Pigeons have been trained to read mammograms as well as humans can
• Eagles see four separate focal points, two on each side
• Some species of swifts stay in the air continuously for ten months of each year
• Crows can recognize us and associate people with good and bad experiences, and then communicate that to other crows.
• “There is no blue pigment in birds. The blue colors of the Eastern Bluebird and other species are produced by a structure that reflects blue light in all directions.”
• “Hermit Thrush songs use pitches that are mathematically related by simple ratios, and follow the same harmonic series as human music.”
This as a browsable reference book, richly detailed and informative. This is a section on “what to do if”: a bird hits a window, a live bird is in your house, etc. There are answers to questions such as – “Is my bird feeder making birds lazy?” In the end, Sibley makes clear the non-terrestrial nature of birds with eloquence and beauty.
-Marjorie
June 23, 2021
Lots of interesting bird information with many beautiful accompanying drawings which were especially helpful in understanding some of the more scientific entries. Sibley recommends not reading this cover to cover, but jumping around as interest takes you, and I tried that for a time, but eventually I wanted to finish the whole thing and I kept finding pages I had already read so I had to start at the start and continue until I got to the end.
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book about a subject you are passionate about (I am not a very passionate person in general but birding is something I have spent actual time and money pursuing, so I think it might count.)
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book about a subject you are passionate about (I am not a very passionate person in general but birding is something I have spent actual time and money pursuing, so I think it might count.)
September 20, 2020
What It's Like to Be a Bird is a lovely coffee table book for bird lovers or someone who just wants to learn more on the subject. I fall into the second category. The illustrations were beautiful and the facts were not overwhelming. I can say that I walked away from this book with more knowledge of and appreciation for birds!
January 4, 2021
Enjoyable coffee-table book about (mostly Northeast American) birds - their lives, behavior, physiology, and evolution. Highly recommend for amateur birders.
xx-dnf-skim-reference
December 14, 2020Very much a fancy-ass coffee table book, to browse a bit at a time... not what I wanted or expected, based on the title. I want the children's book that he admits in the intro. that he started to write, something smaller to the hand and less expensive, but at the same time more thorough.
Also, I do already know a heck of lot that is in this book, just from paying attention to stuff over the last half century. It might help that I'm fan of books on animal cognition and that my parents are birders... but... who needs to be told that the Canada Goose is seen as a suburban pest? I think many of the interested potential readers would be disappointed in how little they learn.
Also it's North American (and mainly US) birds, too. Which is fine... but should be admitted up front.
Dnf because library book with a due date. Not adding to wishlist. Recommending only to families with 'tween children who have already set out birdfeeders, belled, declawed, and neutered their cat, and bought field guide and binoculars. Iow, I don't think it serves well as a lure to get ppl interested in birding.
Fyi, Sibley does advocate for feeding birds. There has been controversy about whether feeders would change the behavior of the birds and make their survival skills atrophy, etc., but he seems convinced that if we keep the feeder and ground clean, and feed them nutrient dense seeds, suet, etc. (not breadcrumbs), and take other precautions, we can help at least some species and individuals. Do the research yourself, paying attention to the quality of your source, and take into account your location... maybe contact your local DNR and/or Audubon chapter.
Also, I do already know a heck of lot that is in this book, just from paying attention to stuff over the last half century. It might help that I'm fan of books on animal cognition and that my parents are birders... but... who needs to be told that the Canada Goose is seen as a suburban pest? I think many of the interested potential readers would be disappointed in how little they learn.
Also it's North American (and mainly US) birds, too. Which is fine... but should be admitted up front.
Dnf because library book with a due date. Not adding to wishlist. Recommending only to families with 'tween children who have already set out birdfeeders, belled, declawed, and neutered their cat, and bought field guide and binoculars. Iow, I don't think it serves well as a lure to get ppl interested in birding.
Fyi, Sibley does advocate for feeding birds. There has been controversy about whether feeders would change the behavior of the birds and make their survival skills atrophy, etc., but he seems convinced that if we keep the feeder and ground clean, and feed them nutrient dense seeds, suet, etc. (not breadcrumbs), and take other precautions, we can help at least some species and individuals. Do the research yourself, paying attention to the quality of your source, and take into account your location... maybe contact your local DNR and/or Audubon chapter.
September 26, 2022
I could not wait until I was finished to recommend this book!
The organization is great. It discusses individual birds type, one type at a time on 2 facing pages. It talks about the interesting or distinctive features of that book and contains beautiful and very informative sketches on those pages as well.
I learned SO MANY fascinating things. For example, in the pages on gulls, he noted that if you look at their feathers, which have both black and white, you will see that the white parts of the feather tip are more worn. This is because the melanin in darker areas strengthens the feathers and makes them more resistant to wear and tear!
The author himself recommends you read the book a few pages at a time, which works beautifully for this book. I am enjoying it over morning coffee 5 or 6 birds per day.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION: Although I am a fan of ebooks and rarely read hard copy, I highly recommend the hard copy of this book. First of all, it maximizes the pleasure of the wonderful pictures Second, throughout the book the author refers to other pages to compare and contrast some feature of the bords, like the way they digest food or the shape of their wings. It is much easier to flip pages in a hard copy book.
PS I originally took the book out of my library but love it so much I bought it so I could relish it at leisure. I also suspect I may be buying a copy or two at holiday time for gifts.
The organization is great. It discusses individual birds type, one type at a time on 2 facing pages. It talks about the interesting or distinctive features of that book and contains beautiful and very informative sketches on those pages as well.
I learned SO MANY fascinating things. For example, in the pages on gulls, he noted that if you look at their feathers, which have both black and white, you will see that the white parts of the feather tip are more worn. This is because the melanin in darker areas strengthens the feathers and makes them more resistant to wear and tear!
The author himself recommends you read the book a few pages at a time, which works beautifully for this book. I am enjoying it over morning coffee 5 or 6 birds per day.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION: Although I am a fan of ebooks and rarely read hard copy, I highly recommend the hard copy of this book. First of all, it maximizes the pleasure of the wonderful pictures Second, throughout the book the author refers to other pages to compare and contrast some feature of the bords, like the way they digest food or the shape of their wings. It is much easier to flip pages in a hard copy book.
PS I originally took the book out of my library but love it so much I bought it so I could relish it at leisure. I also suspect I may be buying a copy or two at holiday time for gifts.
May 18, 2020
It's a pretty book with lots of fun facts about birds. I guess I should be happy, but instead I'm quite disappointed. I find it totally off-topic. Instead of answering what it's like to be a bird it tells us what birds are like.
I expected to learn about how birds see and perceive world and more about their behaviour. This was only very briefly touched in the Introduction, while most of the book was listing common spieces is North America. The facts were also quite a small titbits, mostly already known to anyone interested in birds.
I expected to learn about how birds see and perceive world and more about their behaviour. This was only very briefly touched in the Introduction, while most of the book was listing common spieces is North America. The facts were also quite a small titbits, mostly already known to anyone interested in birds.
July 6, 2020
Bullet points
The book is an enjoyable and quick read. I was hoping for more of a narrative flow rather than a disjointed series of bullet points—many of which have little to do with the species in question. Don’t get me wrong though—the drawings are lovely and there’s a ton of good info in this little book.
The book is an enjoyable and quick read. I was hoping for more of a narrative flow rather than a disjointed series of bullet points—many of which have little to do with the species in question. Don’t get me wrong though—the drawings are lovely and there’s a ton of good info in this little book.
June 20, 2021
I did not know how weird hummingbird's tongues were. I did not know that some birds can dive 300 feet down in the ocean and nobody knows how they catch their prey in that utter blackness or how they manage that pressure on their bodies or how they hold their breath all that time.
So many things I didn't know that are fantastic. Loved this book.
So many things I didn't know that are fantastic. Loved this book.
January 7, 2022
I loved this! Great big book with huge detailed illustrations. And who knew there was so much to learn about being a bird?!
A totally different take than any bird ID book: not about “what bird is this”, but literally about what it’s like to BE the bird.
A totally different take than any bird ID book: not about “what bird is this”, but literally about what it’s like to BE the bird.
April 7, 2021
It teaches a lot. A definite recommendation for bird lovers and generally animal lovers alike.
July 27, 2020
What a gorgeous book – Sibley has done it again!
Unlike his field guides, this visually stunning book is a compendium of fascinating facts about birds. There are equally beautiful full-sized paintings – one per species that he discusses – with tidbits of information on the opposite page.
There is still a lot that we don’t know about birds, and much that amazed me:
• Pigeons have been trained to read mammograms as well as humans can
• Eagles see four separate focal points, two on each side
• Some species of swifts stay in the air continuously for ten months of each year
• Crows can recognize us and associate people with good and bad experiences, and then communicate that to other crows.
• “There is no blue pigment in birds. The blue colors of the Eastern Bluebird and other species are produced by a structure that reflects blue light in all directions.”
• “Hermit Thrush songs use pitches that are mathematically related by simple ratios, and follow the same harmonic series as human music.”
This as a browsable reference book, richly detailed and informative. This is a section on “what to do if”: a bird hits a window, a live bird is in your house, etc. There are answers to questions such as – “Is my bird feeder making birds lazy?” In the end, Sibley makes clear the non-terrestrial nature of birds with eloquence and beauty.
Unlike his field guides, this visually stunning book is a compendium of fascinating facts about birds. There are equally beautiful full-sized paintings – one per species that he discusses – with tidbits of information on the opposite page.
There is still a lot that we don’t know about birds, and much that amazed me:
• Pigeons have been trained to read mammograms as well as humans can
• Eagles see four separate focal points, two on each side
• Some species of swifts stay in the air continuously for ten months of each year
• Crows can recognize us and associate people with good and bad experiences, and then communicate that to other crows.
• “There is no blue pigment in birds. The blue colors of the Eastern Bluebird and other species are produced by a structure that reflects blue light in all directions.”
• “Hermit Thrush songs use pitches that are mathematically related by simple ratios, and follow the same harmonic series as human music.”
This as a browsable reference book, richly detailed and informative. This is a section on “what to do if”: a bird hits a window, a live bird is in your house, etc. There are answers to questions such as – “Is my bird feeder making birds lazy?” In the end, Sibley makes clear the non-terrestrial nature of birds with eloquence and beauty.
December 12, 2020
Not exactly a “book” it’s more like a huge collection of facts and bird illustrations, covering a lot of general information about birds as well as some specifics about 100 or so well-known species, most of which live in the US. Some of it reads like a (calmer gentler) version of Ripleys Believe It or Not. Not really a narrative there, but not really a reference book either.
January 1, 2022
Happy New Year! To kick off my 2022 Year in Books, I finished my browse through this delightful book that was a gift for Christmas 2020. I took it slow! I read about one bird at a time, once in a while. It was a great way to learn a bit and to really enjoy the journey. Highly recommend!
January 14, 2021
This is the best book on birds I have ever read.
It’s not the book to identify every bird by its feathers, colors, and habitat; this is the book to learn how birds live, what they’re like, and why their lungs are designed for a world with 50% less oxygen. The bird drawings are life-size, which means in the case of a turkey, you just have a giant bird face staring at you.
This book is also incredibly well organized. Information on one page never stands alone, it refers back to related pages - so if you read the book from front to back, you gain a nuanced understanding of bird biology. But it equally welcomes random exploration, with page references to guide you to the next fascinating fact - not to mention the FAQ-style “table of contents” in the front.
This book is large: almost a coffee table book.
I never before appreciated Sibley’s gift for explanation and illustration, but I sure do now.
It’s not the book to identify every bird by its feathers, colors, and habitat; this is the book to learn how birds live, what they’re like, and why their lungs are designed for a world with 50% less oxygen. The bird drawings are life-size, which means in the case of a turkey, you just have a giant bird face staring at you.
This book is also incredibly well organized. Information on one page never stands alone, it refers back to related pages - so if you read the book from front to back, you gain a nuanced understanding of bird biology. But it equally welcomes random exploration, with page references to guide you to the next fascinating fact - not to mention the FAQ-style “table of contents” in the front.
This book is large: almost a coffee table book.
I never before appreciated Sibley’s gift for explanation and illustration, but I sure do now.
March 5, 2021
Absolutely outstanding. It’s a beautiful book with exceptionally good illustrations, it’s well laid out, chock-full of fascinating details, and enjoyable to read over a period of time.
Whether you’re a hard-core birder or have a passing interest or feel like you could be a birder, this is a wonderful book.
Whether you’re a hard-core birder or have a passing interest or feel like you could be a birder, this is a wonderful book.
May 23, 2021
What a wonderful book. Birds have always fascinated me, but David Sibley makes them even more fascinating in an easy-to-understand way. I wish "What It's Like To Be A Bird" had been around when I was a kid. I might have followed my dream of becoming an ornithologist.
May 30, 2024
I learned so much!! The illustrations are so beautiful.
March 24, 2021
The illustrations are incredible. Very fun read, this is not a field guide. It is like an almanac of just some of birds of North America with lots of details, facts, and trivia. With great sources! What fun. And beautiful, just beautiful.
wish-to-read
April 20, 2020From Barbara J. King's review on NPR.org
"'A bird's experience is far richer, complex, and 'thoughtful' than I'd imagined.'
This sentence on the first page of David Allen Sibley's What It's Like to Be a Bird is a stunner. A renowned author-illustrator of bird field guides, Sibley is a top bird expert. When he did research for this new volume, though, he became convinced of something he had not previously anticipated: Birds routinely make complex decisions and experience emotions."
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/19/837047...
"'A bird's experience is far richer, complex, and 'thoughtful' than I'd imagined.'
This sentence on the first page of David Allen Sibley's What It's Like to Be a Bird is a stunner. A renowned author-illustrator of bird field guides, Sibley is a top bird expert. When he did research for this new volume, though, he became convinced of something he had not previously anticipated: Birds routinely make complex decisions and experience emotions."
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/19/837047...
November 10, 2020
I learned a LOT about the 100 common birds living in America detailed here. The artwork was superb and the layout of the book was perfect.
February 26, 2021
A beautiful picture book with tons of information about birds: everything from food to nest building and song.
April 18, 2020
This book is phenomenal. First off, it is just a beautiful object - large glossy pages, hard cover, vibrant inks. Sibley's stunning illustrations occupy entire pages, allowing the reader to fully take in their detail, precision and lush colours. It also includes some of his sketches, which deftly capture bird behaviors and postures as well as providing a glimpse into his artistic process. That alone would make the book worth reading, but there's more - this book is incredibly informative and well explained. It explores different ornithology concepts, many of which are quite technical, in accessible and concise terms. I am reading an ornithology textbook and turned to this book on multiple occasions to explain things (such as iridescence and feather structure) in simpler terms. It's grouped loosely together by bird species/ families, and alongside each group several key interesting facts are presented in an engaging format complete with illustrations and/or diagrams. It is not meant to be read as a textbook nor to be an exhaustive resource, which allows it more freedom to be fun. As Sibley says in the introduction, this book is meant to be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their prior knowledge of or interest in birds, and I think he has definitely succeeded in this aim. I recommend this book to any and everyone!
April 9, 2023
I love to photograph birds and watch them, so I really did enjoy this book. There is a wide variety of species covered in this book. The drawings are beautiful. The pages are thick, this is a high-quality publication. I'm not sure I know what it's like to be a bird - or why they do what they do. But Sibley attempted to explain! Most of his explanations revolve around how birds have evolved into the habits that they have. If you like to observe birds and would like to know more about the ways they function in the ecosystem, I think you will enjoy this book. I did. I took a long time to read it because I was just enjoying it from time to time - there was no rush!
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February 10, 2022A coffee table book you can read cover to cover. I loved the generalizations Sibley shared that can be applied across species (i.e. darker feathers and beaks have more melanin and are believed to be stronger and more durable).
The two things I wish are included in a later edition of this: 1. a small map key of the bird's range to understand how likely it would be to see a specific bird in my area. 2. Scientific names of the birds in the reference section so that I can better figure out their Hispanic names to compare notes with predominantly Spanish-speaking neighbors in SoCal.
The two things I wish are included in a later edition of this: 1. a small map key of the bird's range to understand how likely it would be to see a specific bird in my area. 2. Scientific names of the birds in the reference section so that I can better figure out their Hispanic names to compare notes with predominantly Spanish-speaking neighbors in SoCal.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews