What It's Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing--What Birds Are Doing, and Why (Sibley Guides)

It's so great to find a book where you can feel the author's love for his subject! This book is a perfect book to dive into - You can open it at any page and learn something fascinating. I started birding at the start of this year. I got a great National Geographic guide, but while it is comprehensive, it was also overwhelming. And it was dry. This book is anything but. I read a lot, and I feel genuinely excited and nourished whenever I open this book. If you're looking for a fun, interesting, inspiring book, then this is it. I can see why David Sibley, as both author (and teacher for us) and illustrator is considered the gold standard. When I first started googling books and Sibley's name kept popping up, I assumed he was some highly decorated, "ancient" person in the field. And I was surprised to discover he is just in his 60s. I even went and read some articles by him and his love for the natural world is palpable. Highly recommend! This book is an example of why we love books- they open new, fascinating worlds. With this, YouTube videos and the Merlin app on which I identify bird sounds, I have found birding/birdwatching highly accessible. Get it (and get the physical book - it is beautiful).

Several months ago, I bought a bird feeder on clearance. I bought a small bag of bird food to go with it, and then it sat in my garage for several months. While doing some spring cleaning, I came across the bird feeder and bird food and decided to put it out as it was taking up space. Birds were not an interest of mine at the time, I rarely paid attention to them and I barely paid attention to the feeder after finding a spot to put it outside, and then filling it with food. I left it be, and thought nothing more of it. Maybe an hour later, I was excitedly told to look outside. When I did, my backyard suddenly was a haven for birds. Birds were everywhere. I was transfixed by the scene outside my window – birds I had seen my entire life: Sparrows, Cardinals, Robins, Finches, suddenly seemed interesting. What were they doing, why were they doing it, and what specifically were these types of birds in my backyard? Two days later I had my answers in the book, “What it’s Like to be a Bird.” It’s a relatively sizeable book stuffed full of information about birds. I love to read, but I rarely finish a book that I start. I opened the package containing this book around 2pm on a Saturday, and I finished it at about 2am the next morning. By 3am, my wife told me to go to bed and stop telling her random bird facts. After a night’s rest, I awoke to tell the rest of my family more bird facts that I learned from the book. No one was interested, so I then sat outside and watched the birds at the feeder and saw them in a whole new light. I had a new appreciation for birdsong. I started to see the rivalries, the alliances, the daily fight for survival of the birds at my feeder. And the birdsong, which I used to only know came from a bird, I could now identify from which bird it came from.From that, I realized I needed more information about birds. So I next bought, “The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior.” I did not buy this book on Amazon, but found it used elsewhere. This book is far more technical, but no less fantastic and highly recommended for a more thorough deep dive into birds. After that came the Sibley Birds East book to more precisely identify the birds in my area. I went from having no interest in birds, to having a library of bird books in a matter of several weeks. In this same time, I also went from one bird feeder to three, a suet cage, and a bird bath.Lastly, with the help of this book, or rather all the Sibley books mentioned in this review, I was able to accomplish a feat that many others have failed to do over the years - I proved a particular In-Law wrong, something that has been marveled at around family gatherings more than once since it happened. This In-Law in particular knows everything there is to know, and makes it known to all at gatherings. In this particular instance, a Brown Headed Cowbird landed nearby during a lull in an already dull conversation. In an attempt to liven up the group, my In-Law stated matter of factly, “That bird over there is a cowbird, which is part of the Corvid family of birds.” Here was my chance to put to use everything the books taught me. I straightened up, cleared my throat, and said, “Actually, the Brown Headed Cowbird is part of the Icterid family of birds.” A silence swept over the table. The In-Law stared at me with a mocking grin as I had dared to disagree with him, something that he lived for – the chance to argue. He chuckled as he said, “You’re going to feel silly when you look that one up.” I didn’t respond. I knew I was right. And a curious bystander looked it up on their own and shouted excitedly, “He’s right! A Cowbird is part of the Icterid family! How did you know that!?” The disbelief at the table turned to laughter as the In-Law floundered in the first ever instance in memory of being proven wrong. He left the table a short time later in shame. And I left that gathering a hero. All thanks to David Sibley and his wonderful books about birds.

Great images and a wealth of detail. Interesting perspective appealed strongly to a birder with decades of experience. He was captivated as soon as he started reading (on the evening that I gave it to him).

I fancy myself a junior ornithologist and there's just so much new information and trivia to learn in this book! The other reviews have better wording for how downright spectacular the explanations of complex information is, so I'd like to put my more niche enjoyment here.The book's pages are very sturdy and thick, but not annoyingly so. I can highlight passages and information easily, it doesn't bleed through, and dries exceptionally quickly. This book can definitely withstand a clumsy kid or particularly strong adult.

I bought this as a gift for a fellow bird enthusiast and was totally fascinated- I almost didn't give it to her. I have Sibley's guides and adore the illustrations, but this book is a real treat. Totally fun to read. Sibley suggests paging through at random- great suggestion. Hours of fascinating facts and illustrations.

A beautiful book chocked full of magnificent pictures of birds, glorious birds, for our 12 year old adopted grandson's birthday. He is living in a beautiful new land with tons of birds and wildlife. He is sure to love this book .

I enjoyed the illustrations and learning many new facts about birds.

Really hard to put this book down. I’m in awe of what this author/artist has accomplished.

El autor es conocido por sus guías para aves pero en este libro se concentra en las particularidades de las aves: su reproducción, migración, comportamiento, etc. Está escrito para el público en general y para qué hablar de sus ilustraciones...bellísimas.El tamaño del libro también me gustó mucho pues se aleja del tamaño estándar de sus otros libros que son muy gruesos pero un tanto pequeños (el tamaño de una guía de aves).

Liked the superb illustrations and layout. Used to increase my knowledge of birds in general, North American birds in particular.

Looks as if it is aimed at children, but actually gets the info out very easily without too much scientific jargon. Easy to dip into when you notice some bird behavior that you need clarifying - highly recommended.

A uniquely informative book to be enjoyed for pleasure, teaching, or research.

A great book about birds with fantastic illustrations and wonderful quality edition!