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Title: The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 0-679-45122-6 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 03 October, 2000 Format: Turtleback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (79 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Valuable Reference for Traveling, Experienced Bird Watchers
Comment: Before reviewing The Sibley Guide to Birds, I would like to note that David Allen Sibley has done an outstanding job of research, illustration, and description in this unique resource. He should be commended and honored for his contribution!
Think of this guide as an encyclopedia for experienced bird watchers that you would feel comfortable having with you in your car for checking birds you do not already know well. As such, it will be of most value for those who are doing extensive bird watching in distant geographic areas which are new to them, north of Mexico in North America. The book is too large, bulky, and heavy to be easily carried by most people during actual bird watching activities. If you are making extensive sketches or taking photographs with appropriate lenses, you can probably wait to do your identifications until you get home. If you already have a good guide for identifying rare birds in your library, you can probably skip this book. If you don't have such a guide, this book is for you!
As a true, carry-along-with-you field guide, I would rate the book a three star effort for beginning bird watchers because it is well beyond their needs or easy ability to use. A beginner would still be trying to find the right section long after the bird was gone, as Mr. Sibley points out in his excellent inroductory remarks on how to identify birds.
The book has many commendable features. The Guide's best feature are the more than 6600 illustrations of 810 species and 350 regional populations. The illustrations also cover each bird during its development to full adult markings and characteristics. Each one is carefully done to capture the bird both sitting and flying from the same perspectives, to make comparisons easier to do. The beginning of the book has a superb, brief description of how to identify the feathered and bare sections of the various major feather groups.
Clearly, anyone could enjoy this book simply to view at home in front of the fire on a cold winter's night. The illustrations evoked in me many of the same feelings of wonder that I feel when looking at Audubon's illustrations.
The habitat and migration maps are detailed and well done.
The voice descriptions are excellent.
Many of the species also have good general descriptions.
If you are not sure about a person's familiarity with identifying birds, you may not want to give this book as a gift. You may unintentionally provide a volume that will not be very helpful.
If someone tells you they want this volume, they will be delighted to receive it as a gift because they will have a practical use for it and will appreciate its beauty.
After you have had a chance to look at these gorgeous illustrations, I suggest that you think about the other potential appeals of bird watching. Bird behavior to me is far more interesting than bird identification. I also enjoy watching nesting behavior more than feeding behavior. How can you capture more kinds of fun and learning from your bird watching? What lessons does that hold for observing people, as well?
Capture all of your importance experiences in a way that's meaningful to you!
Rating: 5
Summary: Worth The Money
Comment: ...
The Sibley Guide to Birds is a very well made guide, the illustrations are very detailed and straight-forward. For each bird, there are an average of at least five pictures, showing the bird in different plumages, in flight, or even in display.
Some complain about the weight of this book, but it isn't much of a problem if you bring a back pack with you to carry it in. Besides, aren't you buying a field guide for the content, not the weight? At least it didn't sacrifice space for detail, I've noticed that in 'All the Birds of North America', some birds are slightly overlapped, which isn't too favourable.
The only problem, which is a small one, is that there isn't much information regarding the behaviours of the birds. I guess that is why Mr. Sibley wrote "The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour", but it would be a nice addition if he could've added some behaviour information in this book.
Overall, a must have field guide.
Rating: 5
Summary: A terrific identification guide!
Comment: I've been a birder for many years and began a life list around five years ago. I own many of the standard field guides. Only recently did I obtain the Sibley Guide, but it's become my favorite. I generally use Sibley and Stokes in tandem.
Advantages:
1. Logical layout
2. "Species accounts" pages offer an excellent comparative view within the group, as well as a good all-up overview of the families/genus/species, and general behavior.
3. Individual species pages show comprehensive plumage reference art; more detailed than any I've seen. For this feature alone, the guide is worthwhile!
4. Species pages show variants (e.g., Great Blue/Great White Heron), fledgling and/or juvenile patterns. In some cases art of eclipse plumage is a very nice bonus.
5. Flight/wing patterns where relevant
6. Comparison of hummingbird mating display paths
7. Diurnal raptors section shows perched vs. in-flight underside plumage for each species. It also offers silhouette guides to help teach wing shape if plumage is light-obscured.
8. Good geographical reference map (though smaller than ideal*)
9. Good vocal descriptions
10. Nice (what they refer to as) "bird topography" section
11. Where applicable, good information on regional variations and species clines.
Disadvantages:
1. This is not a pocket guide; it's cumbersome. I use Stokes in the field, and use Sibley at home for reference afterward.
2. The binding on my copy isn't sturdy, particularly for something that's supposedly a field guide. I feel like I must treat the glue binding gingerly or the pages might start to fall out.
3. Not enough text re: birding ethics & conservation (but that might just be my inner tree-hugger appearing) :)
4. *Geographical range map is small. I imagine it'd be difficult for some people to see clearly.
5. Migratory geographical information only covers North America. I'd like reference for migratory species (even just within text) of migration route start/finish and total annual distance. (Aside: the artic tern has the longest distance migration [Arctic to Antarctic] and can cover 22k - 30k mpy.)
Overall, this a great reference, and I recommend it highly.
However, to Knopf publishers/Chanticleer Press: Please ask Dai Nippon Printing Co to use better binding glue in the next edition!
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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: Sibley's Birding Basics by David Allen Sibley ISBN: 0375709665 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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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 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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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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