The bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing--and why
DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY is the author and illustrator of the series of successful guides to nature that bear his name, including The Sibley Guide to Birds. He has contributed to Smithsonian, Science, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Birding, BirdWatching, North American Birds, and The New York Times. He is a recipient of the Roger Tory Peterson Award for Promoting the Cause of Birding from the American Birding Association and the Linnaean Society of New York's Eisenmann Medal. He lives and birds in Massachusetts.
"Lingering over every page of What It's Like to Be a Bird, this is
what can be seen: The book's beauty mirrors the beauty of birds it
describes so marvelously." —NPR
"Any new Sibley book is an event . . . A sprightly,
information-packed encyclopedia of bird behavior. What lifts it
into the realm of art is Sibley’s illustrations—330 of them, many
life-size. Captured in pencil and gouache, Sibley’s birds are
as scientifically accurate as Peterson’s or Audubon’s, but less
static, more alive . . . The American robin with a rust-red
Dickensian waistcoat; a martial, copper-feathered red-tailed hawk
perched watchful along a country road—these and all the birds
celebrated in What It’s Like to Be a Bird seem ready to take
flight." —Peter Fish, San Francisco Chronicle
"An afternoon with this sprawling volume on my lap was a lovely way
to tolerate a day of social distancing . . . What It’s Like to
Be a Bird gives Sibley’s artwork ample room to spread its wings . .
. In a spring shadowed by the darker mysteries of nature,
Sibley’s book is a welcome occasion to connect with the more
pleasing puzzle of what our feathered friends are up to." —Danny
Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor
"After years of rushing to his indispensable field guides for sure
resolution of any bird or tree ID conundrum, I’m delighted to find
David Allen Sibley stretching his considerable artistic and
literary wings . . . Having painted them all in every possible
plumage permutation, evenly lighted and in profile, Mr. Sibley’s
joy in creating chiaroscuro tableaux of birds feeding, flying and
tending their young is palpable . . . Expect to be surprised
at the mental and physical capabilities of birds." —Julie
Zickefoose, The Wall Street Journal
"Simply gorgeous . . . Appropriate for general readers as well
as bird experts, and it is perfectly suitable for young readers . .
. As the world’s bird population shrinks, it is helpful and even
inspiring to learn as much as possible about the amazing feathered
creatures that share our planet. There is no better way than to
browse through David Allen Sibley’s new book, What It’s Like to Be
a Bird." —Nancy Gilson, The Columbus Dispatch
"You'll want to linger on each page to enjoy Sibley's illustrations
. . . If you love birds, you'll love this book." —Jennifer J.
Meyer, The Backyard Birder
"Sibley answers all kinds of questions people have about birds . .
. [His] exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise bring observed
behaviors vividly to life." —Birdwatching
"Gorgeous art and fascinating information come together here. The
organization makes it easy to pick up and read whatever strikes
your fancy, while the depth of information means that anyone can
learn a great deal. And then there’s the art—lots and lots of it.
All that makes this book attractive to anyone even remotely
interested in birds." —The Birder's Library
"A fascinating work that fulfills its goal to 'give readers some
sense of what it’s like to be a bird' . . . [Readers] will
emerge with a deeper appreciation of birds, and of what observable
behaviors can reveal about animals’ lives." —Publishers Weekly
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