Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Companion
Review: I love this guide. It goes together with the Sibley Guide to Birds very well. Sibleys drawings are excellent and then the text written by the top ornithologists makes this an ultimate field guide companion.
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Summary: Sibley Benefits Breeding Bird Atlas Workers.
Review: 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.
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Summary: What and Why of North American Bird Family Behaviors
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding resource for birders of all abilities
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding resource for birders of all abilities
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Background for Any Bird Enthusiast
Review: 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.
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Summary: A Must Have for Serious Birders
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Informative
Review: This is a wonderful book. I wish I would have bought it when it came out. I might not have bought so many other bird books. This book breaks down the birds into groups and then talks about that group. I have learned so much from it (and I'm not even through reading it). The illustrations are meticulous, and the book setup is much like that of a field guide (content order wise). A must have for anyone interested in birds.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Informative
Review: This is a wonderful book. I wish I would have bought it when it came out. I might not have bought so many other bird books. This book breaks down the birds into groups and then talks about that group. I have learned so much from it (and I'm not even through reading it). The illustrations are meticulous, and the book setup is much like that of a field guide (content order wise). A must have for anyone interested in birds.
Rating:
Summary: Pefect companion to "Sibley's Field Guide to Birds"
Review: This is the content that was lacking from the Sibley Field guide. Want to know if that little brown bird with a slightly red head was an American Sparrow or a finch? Well was it in a field, your back yard, was it eating seeds or bugs. These sort of questions are answered by this book so if you missed the red or black eye stripe you can make a better guess as to the species of bird.
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