Customer Reviews

The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are like me, you love The Sibley Guide to Birds and treasure it as a guide to identifying birds.

If you are also like me, you often observe bird behavior that fascinates or surprises you. Little birds survive outdoors in very cold winter weather. Some ocean flyers are able to glide for vast distances without moving their wings. Why do birds lay external eggs rather than carry internal ones like mammals? How devoted are birds in pairs to one another? What habitats are most likely to shelter each bird type? What is the migration range and timing of that bird you're watching? What must we do to conserve a particular species?

The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is designed to be a companion to The Sibley Guide to Birds, and extend your understanding of bird behaviors and the reasons behind them beyond the mere identification of species. With the two books, you have the birthday cake and the icing, too!

I was especially pleased to see that the writing was simple, straight-forward, and interesting. An 11-page glossary helps with the relatively few technical terms, many of which are carefully illustrated somewhere in the book.

From pages 15 through 120, the book focuses on general essays about all North American birds on subjects like feathers, flight characteristics, feet, bills, digestion, bones, organs, metabolism, respiration, cooling, heating, intelligence, origins as a reptile, and evolution into their current forms.

From pages 121 to near the end, the subject matter switches to one of 80 North American (U.S. and Canada) based families. The average length of a section is about six pages. So it's a reference guide rather than a definitive resource. If you love cardinals, for example, you will probably prefer a more specialized book in that direction. If you would like to learn about the basic behaviors of all the birds you normally see in North America, then this is the book for you.

For each family, you get most or all of the following, depending on the characteristics of the family: the scientific name, taxonomy, variations, molting, plumage, territoriality, food and foraging, breeding (including eggs, nests, and displays), movements, conservation issues, and information about accidental species. Each section is a signed essay, so you can see who the experts are who did that section. References are usually not included in the book, but are available on the book's Web site.

You probably don't want a list of all 80 families covered, so I'll just name a representative few (Loons, Albatrosses, Storm-Petrels, Pelicans, New World Vultures, Falcons & Caracaras, Limpkin, Stilts and Avocets, Gulls and Terns, Cuckoos, Swifts, Kingfishers, Larks, Kinglets, Mockingbirds and Thrashers, Bananaquit; New World Sparrows; and Orioles).

The high point of the book, however, are the 795 water colors painted by the eminently talented David Allen Sibley. Most of these paintings highlight key bird behaviors or characteristics. Although most of the illustrations are quite small, you can easily discern the point that is being made from the superb use of angle, color, and composition. Without these wonderful water colors, this book would be less than half as interesting and helpful. To look only at the illustrations would bring joy to anyone. The only thing that's missing is a CD of bird song to accompany the pages.

I seriously doubt if many people are going to carry this guide off on bird watching trips. My suggestion is that you read up on what you plan to see before you go, or just curl up with this book and some hot apple cider on cold winter nights to anticipate the bird watching that you will begin doing again in the spring. You should also use some of that time to organize and participate in local efforts to help conserve species which are being threatened.

To know more about birds is to appreciate them and God's creation even more!

I bought THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRD LIFE AND BEHAVIOR for myself for Christmas. I wanted Sibley's Guide because I am an avid birdwatcher, interested in books, articles, films, etc. about birds. I had read glowing reviews about this book (here and elsewhere) and thought it must be the best bird book ever. Also, several reviewers noted that like JJ Audubon, Mr. Sibley was a gifted artist who depicted birds rather beautifully.

Sibley's Guide is a beautiful book bird watchers will want to add to their collection (hardcover, please). Those who already know the difference between Bewick's Wren and a Carolina Wren may appreciate Sibley's Guide more than those who can't tell a White Throated Sparrow from a pigeon. However, sooner or later every bird enthusiast needs to understand the ecology of birds, and this is the strength of the Sibley Guide.

I've been a bird lover since I was a child, and lucky enough to have parents and grandparents who were bird fanciers (my dad was an ecologist, my grandmother raised tamed birds). As a result, I know a great deal about birds and their environments. Sibley's book appeals to me because its central message is that all living things are connected and that the environment matters. One should never take the continuing presence of birds in the back yard as a given as their habitats are threatened.

The Sibley Guide is not as well suited for fieldwork as the Smithsonian's Handbook, BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (regional versions), or THE AUDUBON BACK YARD BIRDWATCHER. For example, on p. 440, the Sibley guide has an illustration titled "Troglodytid diversity" which shows the very small Winter Wren and the very large Cactus Wren. The Smithsonian handbook contains separate entries for each of these birds (and many other wrens) and each entry has a separate map showing the individual bird's range. You will immediately know from the Smithsonian Guide that the Winter Wren has an Eastern and Northern range while the Cactus Wren is more likely to be found along the Southwest border and in Northern Mexico.

In contrast, Sibley's book contains a paragraph on "habitats" in the "wren" section and it says Winter Wrens can be found in the Pacific Northwest old-growth forests and the Cactus Wrens can be found in the Chihuahuan Desert. In an earlier part of the guide Sibley has described these areas with lovely maps. You can figure out the approximate ranges of each bird with a bit of page flipping, but you may not quickly deduce that the Winter Wren is also found on the East Coast.

The Sibley Guide is nifty because it groups birds based on DNA results and discusses them as well as their general ranges, habitats, food and foraging behavior, and various aspects of breeding. The Sibley Guide promotes a deeper understanding of the ecology of birds. You will not want to take the Sibley Guide to the field for birdwatching, however.

It is difficult to imagine a more helpful guide to understanding birds than "The Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior". Illustrated by David Allen Sibley, with contributing text by a host of bird authorities, this work is the ultimate companion to Sibley's field guides. Anyone can gain a greater appreciation for our feathered friends by picking up this book.

Crammed with useful information, the guide opens with an understanding of how birds fly, their anatomy, and intellectual capabilities. There are chapters on origins, classification methods, bird behavior, migration, communication, and breeding. Also included are overviews of habitat distinctions, populations, and conservation.

This general format is carried over into the largest section of the book - a comprehensive look at all the families of North American avians. For instance, each family of birds (e.g. - Hummingbirds, Vireos) will have chapters within the text providing specific analysis of:

*Taxonomy
*Adaptations to Lifestyle
*Habitats
*Food and Foraging
*Breeding
*Vocalizations
*Migration
*Conservation
*Accidental Species

This clear breakdown by sections makes it a simple task to compare the migration strategies of Vireos to that of Hummingbirds, for instance. Given that all these sections exist uniformly for each family, anyone seeking to know more about a particular family of birds can easily find what they are looking for. Even complete families of birds that are merely accidental are listed here (e.g. - Accentors.)

"The Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior" benefits not only from its methodical layout, but also a profusion of David Sibley's artwork. And while some have dubbed his illustrations merely functional, I find them to be very good. The superb quality of the guide itself is also a huge plus, making it a sort of "mini-coffeetable" book. Bright, thick pages with clear text and plenty of open space make the guide very easy to read. Because of the layout, it can be read in small chunks, too, so its hefty 587 pages are easily digestible.
There is something here for any birder, no matter their level of expertise, as well. I've been birding for more than twenty-five years and yet I still picked up plenty of great facts.

Lastly, a word on the conservation sections of the book: they are both heartening and disheartening in their factualness about the survivability of different bird families. Yes, Man has harmed some avian families, but many others have been aided by our encroachments. The guide is balanced in its view, too, that some species of North American birds that are extinct (or close to it) were never that populous to begin with and may have been doomed over time anyway, no matter what Man did to their habitats. Still, it does not shrink from blaming us for devastating some species - the passenger pigeon, for instance - nor does it excuse us from continuing to work to better the plight of all bird species around the world.

Absolutely deserving of a five star rating, "The Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior" is a superb book on its own, and even better with the Sibley Field Guide series. Highly recommended to all, particularly bird lovers.

I am not a bird expert; I am a homeschooling mother who is interested enough in birds to feed them and provide nesting boxes in our yard. I enjoy watching birds and this has lead to a curiosity about what they are doing and why.

This hardback version is wonderful and will grace our family library shelves for years. The paper stock is heavy and fine. There are beautiful and detailed watercolor illustrations and very detailed explanations of bird life and behavior. This book picks up where the bird identification books leave off and is more comprehensive than other books I have read about bird identification and behavior.

The index is easy to use for quick referencing about specific birds. There is loads of information here, probably everything youd want to know about birds. Amazon has over 50 sample pages for you to view, including the detailed table of contents, so I wont repeat that information inside of my review. The information is detailed but not intimidating for amateurs such as myself.

As a homeschooling mother this has already come in handy for discussions about the activities of our chimney swifts and Eastern Bluebirds that have taken up residence in our yard and home.

Even if you are an amateur birdwatcher, I encourage you to buy a bird identification book and then this book, rather than others on the market. Once you see this hefty volume and all the information it contains you will see the price is worth it! This is a reference volume that will be used for years.

Once a birder progresses beyond 'listing' and begins to take a serious interest in understanding birds, this will be an indispensable volume.

The contributing authors share their knowledge in a consistent format and in accessible language, and the illustations are of Sibley's usual excellence. The intelligent reader will appreciate the thoughtful text which does not, however, presume a deep background in technical ornithology.

Any birder or casual feeder-watcher will appreciate this book.

I worked on the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas 20 years ago and will soon be going into the third year of Atlas 2000. This book on bird behavior will help a lot with the questions I and other workers have such as "What in the world is that bird doing?" It should easily help us to clear up problems as to which category the bird should be recorded in. The information is easy to read and easy to understand for the practiced field birder as well as for the amateur. David has selected masters in the birding field to write sections of this book.
Atlas coordinator in Central New York State.

Very well organized, comprehensive information. It's very useful and actually quite engrossing. I knew nothing about birds and am doing research for a novel. I first encountered this book in the public library and decided to buy myself a copy of this one among all the other bird books I borrowed. I am not a bird watcher and I don't think I'll take it up as a real hobby, but this book has given me a great appreciation of birds. They are fascinating and truly remarkable creatures.

THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRD LIFE AND BEHAVIOR is the follow up to Sibley's first book on birding. This book has the same sort of illustrations that make his first book so helpful. This book is more in depth and contains articles on bird biology as well as general information on various species. Though the guide bears Sibley's name, he is the illustrator and the text in the book is written by leading ornithologists. It is an excellent book for those who not only want to identify birds, but know a bit more about the birds that are sighted.

This book will be helpful to those who have an idea of the birds likely to be seen on a birding trip. By reading ahead of time, the experience can often be more fruitful, that is if Mother Nature cooperates and supplies the birds one hopes to see.

Bottom Line: Whether you are a new wild-bird feeder, watcher, etc.,--or an old birder--you must have this book. I'll skip the excellent details found in the reviews and just get to the basics: this book is fantastic. I have a number of other guides that I have learned a lot from and enjoyed, but if I had to choose just one book, it would be the Sibley.

This is a useful book about bird behavior written by a true expert. It's a bit like a textbook the way it approaches broad topics and discusses various aspects.

Like any textbook, I suppose, if you go into this book with a specific question and hope for a specific answer, you may not find it. However, if you were trying to write a school report or something you would certainly find lots of useful tidbits of information in the general area of your topic.

I'd say that rather than thinking of this as a reference book, you should think of it as background reading, to be taken in small doses, for the above-and-beyond birding enthusiast.