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Title: Sibley's Birding Basics by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 0-375-70966-5 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.86 (7 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent but strikes me as somewhat odd
Comment: Let me depart a bit from the other glowing reviews to point out something I think is slightly odd about this book. While the book has many outstanding features, I'm not sure it is the ideal "birding basics" book.
The first half of the book has some terrific information but is often light on content (the equipment section, birding by geography section, finding more info section) as well as some glaring gaps (breeding habits, migration patterns, birding history in North America). It's one thing to tell a beginning birder how the gestalt of a White Crowned Sparrow is different from that of a White Throated Sparrow but does the beginning birder even know when to expect either in their area? The ending on ethics and conservation is so small it almost plays to the criticism that birders are more in it for the sport than for birds themselves.
The second half of the book is a stunning review of the external structure of birds. It is better than many ornithology texts in this regard. Everything you could ever need to know about feather structure, molt, proportional differences and color perception is presented along with an excellent introduction to taxonomy and bird song.
Sibley is obviously playing to his strength here which is fine because what he knows, he really knows if you get my point. The art work is great, of course.
I don't want to come across as knocking this book. I own it, enjoy it and have learned a great deal from it. I recommend that you buy it. I'm just not sure it will serve this generation of up and comming birders as the ideal "basics" book the way Jack Connor's "The Complete Birder" did for many in the prior generation.
What do you think of a basics book that can take the time to touch on a birds nasal bristles or gestalt but omit a basic discussion on migration or breeding? Maybe it's me but it strikes me as a bit odd. I think the second half could have been published as part of a book called "Sibley's Ornithology for Birders" or something to that effect.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Introduction to nany aspects of birding
Comment: I came into this book with some interest in learning to identify birds around the yard to a greater extent. This is the first book that I've seen to go beyond the basics of shape and color. It's actually a virtual biology lesson on birds with fine details about feathers, and molting among other topics. Very detailed materials that help the reader understand how to see the parts of the bird beyond quick impressions in order to make identifications. But I also gained a new insight into an animal that I took for granted just seeing every day. Sibley is an incredible artist and liberally demonstrates his concepts with sketches and drawings of a wide variety of birds. The combination of beautiful art, and clear, educational writing makes one of the best introductions I've ever seen to birds, and how to know and appreciate them. Highly recommended for the casual as well as serious bird enthusiast.
Rating: 5
Summary: Veterans will love it too
Comment: Perfect for the aspiring or beginning birder, veterans will wonder how they got started without it. Sibley begins with the simplest, logical advice - equipment, where to go to find birds (did you know Central Park, NY, rates with Cape May and the Monterey Peninsula for sighting migrating birds - it's the largest patch of green for miles), keeping records and avoiding mistakes. The bulk of this slim book is devoted to identifying, from behavior and voice to body configuration, feather arrangements, color patterns, structure of tail and wings, molt and more. Clear color illustrations provide plentiful examples throughout. Sibley teaches how to see and what to look for, depending on time of year, weather and habitat, and provides lots of useful information about common and unusual birds by way of illustrative examples.
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Title: The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 067945120X Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 29 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 0679451234 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 02 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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Title: The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 0679451226 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 03 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: National Geographic Field Guide To The Birds Of North America, 4th Edition by National Geographic Society ISBN: 0792268776 Publisher: National Geographic Pub. Date: 01 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 0679451218 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 29 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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