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The Sibley Guide to Birds
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 illustra...more
The Sibley Guide's innovative design makes it entirely user friendly. The illustra...more
Paperback, 544 pages
Published
September 15th 2009
by Knopf
(first published October 3rd 2000)
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Craig
rated it
The definitive birding guide for North America. Gorgeous paintings of hundreds of birds pack this well-designed, durable book that is essential to any birder's collection. The book is on the bulky side so I would recommend his compact The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America or The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America if you are packing light.
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the only reason i didn't slap 5 stars on this rascal is cuz he poopoos the existence of the ivory-bill. i have to believe they found one down in arkansas for the sake of my very soul. c'mon sibley! don't be a stick in the mud.
dude can flat-out draw some birds! hardcore draw some dang avian life!!!!
dude can flat-out draw some birds! hardcore draw some dang avian life!!!!
I had always loved reading field guides, mostly the Audubon guides. Once I got this book I realized how much it surpasses any other birding book out there. The best part about the book is the succinct writing, and the amazing illustrations done by the author David Allen Sibley. As an artist and an avid birder this book really excites and inspires me. I still use other field guides, but this is my go-to book ninety percent of the time.
I love Sibley's guide. I memorized most of it years ago, but still use it on a weekly basis. The illustrations are wonderful, the descriptions of the birds are accurate and make it easy for the lay person to find the bird they are looking for. I also enjoy the companion book, guide to bird behavior.
Just bought this book while I was on vacation at an Audubon site, and while it wasn't the ideal field guide, it was simply the best birding reference I have ever used. I'll consider getting the split east/west guides, so that I can more easily take this great resource out in the field more easily.
Essential birder's guide. Sibley changed the game with birding field guides. Detailed paintings and identifying tips for male, females and juveniles of every species PLUS regional variations. Very complete!
Not your ONLY bird guide but an important one.
Not your ONLY bird guide but an important one.
Even better than Petersen's, but hard to fit in your pocket.
The range maps are more accurate, drawings include more variations, and the writing is less terse.
This is my go-to book when I'm not in the field.
The range maps are more accurate, drawings include more variations, and the writing is less terse.
This is my go-to book when I'm not in the field.
hahaha this isn't a book to read! I recommend it as a guide to birds. If you do not like birds or enjoy birding, do not pick this one up. hahahaha, ridiculous
This is by far the best bird guide that I have found. You should not the exclusion of the term "field guide" on the cover. This book is a bit large and heavy for taking on a long hike. I still take it with me often because it is worth it, but I have gotten the slightly less impressive field guide by Sibley.
The drawing of the birds are realistic and comprehensive of the different sex and age of the birds. The call and song descriptions are somewhat helpful (and once yo...more
The drawing of the birds are realistic and comprehensive of the different sex and age of the birds. The call and song descriptions are somewhat helpful (and once yo...more
My "engagement ring" from Joe, when he proposed to me on 10/22/09, was the 20-volume set of the OED. It is magnificent, and perfect, and wonderful.
This is my favorite bird guide. The thousands of paintings he completed for it are lovely, and lots of interesting bird info is included.
Instant classic reference. If you love birds or are simply curious about them, this is the only book you need.
This is the best identification guide to birds in my opinion. Nothing else comes close.
Terri Klemetson
added it
I love this book, it's a constant reference. I finally saw Lazuli Bunting this year.
This is my go to field guide. You can't beat the multiple illustrations of birds - in flight (from top and bottom), breeding v. non-breeding, male, female, and juvenile. This has got it all, plus comparison tips for very similar birds.
It's a mighty heavy tome to carry with you on a birding trip. Fortunately, that problem is solved for people with smart phones. The Sibley app is probably the most used application on my iPhone. It has all the info, plus the ability to record bird ...more
It's a mighty heavy tome to carry with you on a birding trip. Fortunately, that problem is solved for people with smart phones. The Sibley app is probably the most used application on my iPhone. It has all the info, plus the ability to record bird ...more
Alex
added it
The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley (2000)
Currently the best field guide to North American birds.
This is the best field resource there is folks!
From my birding guru FB. I cherish it.
Everyone should have a bird book.
I've been reading this since 2000. It is more complete than any other bird book I use. It is heavy in the pack for a field guide, but whenever I leave it at home, I wish I'd carried it along because it is so much more complete than my standard collection. The detail of the drawings is very helpful to learn to see what to look for and to distinguish small significant differences among similar birds. It is a book to sit at the kitchen table and just read for the pleasure and joy of it as well as t...more
23.99
This book is one of my most prized possessions. Each bird is hand drawn by the author, who is somewhat obsessive and refuses to include drawings that he has not done from first-hand observation, a kind of mania that I admire for its absolute smittenness. It's also arranged in a way that I think is really easy to use as a reference, giving the most crucial info on each bird efficiently and accessibly.
I bought this book for a class in college, & have held onto it since then. It's very well organized, clear, and thorough; it is also compact & easy to carry on any hikes or bird-watching trips I go on. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in birding, from beginners looking at birds in the yard to experienced bird-watchers who want a reference book to take on trips or counts.
An indispensable resource. Don't waste your time with photographically-illustrated guides; Sibley's paintings are worth a thousand photos.
This is a great desktop edition. The eastern/western guides are much smaller, easier to carry out into the field, and have better range maps to boot.
This is a great desktop edition. The eastern/western guides are much smaller, easier to carry out into the field, and have better range maps to boot.
My uncle gave me this book, and though I don't use it too often, I do enjoy it. There have been a few times I'd see a bird, and I'd run back to look it up. I get confused about how it's organized sometimes, but it may make more sense to someone who knows something about birds.
my only complaint is it's too large to tote around in the field! but the detail in text and the drawings of alternate plumages make it indispensable for home reference. thankfully sibley has spearate eastern and western versions in paperback which are easier on the back.
A very good bird book, although I still find myself using my old Golden book from college since it's smaller for the field and I know where all the birds are with a quick flip. I use this one at home when I want more details and have a minute to sit down and read.
of course Sibley's is wonderful, as so many others have pointed out. I find I use the pages with lots of similar species together and the side-by-side comparisons of very similar species the most.
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