Sibley’s Birding Basics
- ISBN13: 9780375709661
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
“I wrote and illustrated this book to help every inquisitive birder, from novice to expert. Whether you can identify six birds or six hundred, you’ll be a better birder if you have a grounding in the real nuts and bolts of what birds look like, and your skills will be even sharper if you know exactly what to look for and how to record what you see.” —David Allen Sibley
The Sibley Guide to Birds and The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior are both universally acclaimed as the new standard source of species information. And now David Sibley, America’s premier birder and best-known bird artist, takes a new direction; in Sibley’s Birding Basics he is concerned not so much with species as with the general characteristics that influence the appearance of all birds and thus give us the clues to their identity.
To create this guide, David Sibley thought through all the skills that enable him to identify a bird in the few instants it is visible to him. Now he shares that information, integrating an explanation of the identification process with many painted and drawn images of details (such as a feather) or concepts.
Birding Basics begins by reviewing how one can get started as a birder: the equipment necessary, where and when to go birding, and perhaps most important, the essential things to look for when birds appear in the field. Using many illustrations, David Sibley reviews all the basic concepts of bird identification and then describes the variations (of shape, size, and color) that can change the appearance of a bird over time or in different settings. And he issues a warning about “illusions and other pitfalls”—and advice on avoiding them.
The second part of the book, also plentifully illustrated, deals with another set of clues, the major aspects of avian life that differ from species to species: feathers (color, arrangement, shape, molt), behavior and habitat, and sounds.
This scientifically precise, beautifully illustrated volume distills the essence of David Sibley’s own experience and skills, providing a solid introduction to “naming” the birds. With Sibley as your guide, when you learn how to interpret what the feathers, the anatomical structure, the sounds of a bird tell you—when you know the clues that show you why there’s no such thing as “just a duck”—birding will be more fun, and more meaningful. An essential addition to the Sibley shelf!
For more information: Sibley’s Birding Basics
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No offense but the Kindle is not the vehicle for a birdwatching book (maybe when the color kindle comes out?)
Rating: 1 / 5
Sibley’s Birding Basics
Although I live in Europe I find this little gem so enthralling that I recommend it for anyone interested in birds and bird watching. Even an accomplished birder will find this book an eminent tool to convey own enthusiasm to others. And I would recommend it for school use as it is also a very good guide to learn observation generally.
A prerequisite for happy birding, and at a little over 10 bucks, a real steal!
No more details should be necessary as that is already covered by others here.
Rating: 5 / 5
Sibley’s Birding Basics
There are already several excellent reviews of this book, so why add another? To add another perspective. Several of the strong reviews are from people who have clearly been advid bird watchers for years. I am not in that category. I watched birds a lot as a child (Eagle Boy Scout and all that), but as my professional life developed, I didn’t have the time to seriously observe birds. So I wanted to add that for the causal bird watcher who wants to get more serious, this book is amazing, incredible, wonderful, remarkable, astonding - I teach my students not to go on with adjectives - but I can’t help it. I have learned so much reading this book. The hints and insights that Shibley has assembled in this guide are a treasure. The methods he lays out for more accurate identifications are wonderful. My bird watching has improved immensely because of this guide. I thought it would only help me be more accurate in my identifications, but it has increased the pleasure of bird watching for me so much. I am truly amazed.
For the causal bird watcher, this small, easy-to-read volume is a must. Do yourself a favor and put this in your cart now. You will be glad you did.
Rating: 5 / 5
Sibley’s Birding Basics
I’m new to birding and this handy introduction is a big help. For instance, learning that the beak is indicative of so much about a bird is a most helpful clue. And there is more. Of course Sibley is the expert. Do you know what “pishing” is. You’ll learn about it here.
Rating: 5 / 5
Sibley’s Birding Basics
This is an excellent book for beginner bird watchers. It teaches you how to avoid common mistakes in properly identifying a bird. It also explains the different terms for bird body parts and feathers. It’s a short and easy to read book. I ordered Sibley’s other book after reading this because there was still a lot I wanted to learn that wasn’t covered in this book. The illustrations are incredibly good!
I bought this book on sale at Strand’s in NY.
** I went out birdwatching after reading the book and realized that it’s actually a GREAT book with very useful and practical information. I want to increase my rating to 5-stars, but can’t figure out how.
Rating: 4 / 5
Sibley’s Birding Basics