Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Most people would consider birdbrained an insult; Sibley's new book may change their minds. There are a lot of bird books that describe bird behavior as observed by humans (including the Sibley Guides to Birds). The wonderfully unique thing about this book is that it examines clever avian behavior from the bird's point of view. Focusing on frequent backyard visitors (nuthatches, blue jays, and chickadees) and other easily observable species (owls, roadrunners, ducks) this selective compendium provides full-color, life-sized illustrations accompanied by engagingly curious field notes on flight, foraging, nesting, walking, swimming, navigation, hearing, smell, taste, touch, vision, and vocalization. Jays, for example, will hide their food, but if they think another jay saw where it was hidden, they will return later and hide it in a safer spot. A robin's nest building requires thoughtful decisions about location, construction materials, and insulation. Crows not only have the ability to recognize humans by face and to associate people with good or bad experiences but also to communicate this intelligence to other crows. This title is enthusiastically recommended for both armchair birdwatchers and serious birders and is an excellent choice for public libraries, even those with shelves already brimming with bird guides. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
Booklist Reviews
Long relied upon by birders for his detailed guidebooks, Sibley brings his adult study on the nature and behavior of birds to a younger audience. It opens with a fact-packed crash course on birds: anatomy, coloration, feather structure, vocalizations, vision, flight and migration, diet, mating, nesting, and so on. It's a ton of information but clearly organized, employing headers, bulleted lists, and plenty of illustrations, all painted by Sibley. Overview accomplished, the book moves into a survey of specific bird species from North America. Grouped roughly by habitat and type (seabirds, shorebirds, birds of prey, songbirds, etc.), the individual birds within each category are presented on double-page spreads that include a full-page, wonderfully detailed, painted portrait and page of relevant facts and trivia, intercut with smaller illustrations and the occasional activity. The text itself is quite dense, but its arrangement into lists and the repetition of core concepts make it easy to digest, as does the book's browsable structure. Tips for helping birds and becoming a birder close this informative guide on our feathered friends. Grades 6-10. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
An expert ornithologist lays out the hows, whats, and whys of bird behavior. Sibley, the much-admired creator of a popular series of identification guides for birds, has adapted his adult title What It's Like To Be a Bird (2020). But, in fact, his initial impetus for that book was his desire to write an introduction to birds for young readers—not a field guide but an album that would foster appreciation for the birds around us. And here it is. In organization and presentation, this adaptation is very like the source material; a concise overview of birds in general is followed by profiles of various species. Sibley covers a broad set of the most familiar birds in the continental United States and Canada. His illustrations are striking and meticulously accurate. The format—short, informative paragraphs that focus on a particular species but also answer broader questions about bird physiology and behavior—works both for browsers and those reading from cover to cover and is just as appealing as the original. The biggest change is a good one: The introduction to each species depicted now appears at the beginning of the entry, near a portrait of the bird, rather than as part of an index in the back. Some wording has been simplified and some details left out, but overall, this is an immensely entertaining and enlightening volume that will entice both adults and children. Splendid. (Nonfiction. 8-15) Copyright Kirkus 2023 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Reviews
Sibley is the author and illustrator of a series of bird guides, including
PW Annex Reviews
Ornithologist and illustrator Sibley (
School Library Journal Reviews