by David Allen Sibley • Release Date: Apr. 14, 2020
Expert ornithologist Sibley (The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2000, etc.) reveals the inner world of North American birds, pairing the answers to common questions with stunning full-color, full-page illustrations.
Covering more than 200 species in over 330 illustrations (including 87 "roughly life-size" paintings of familiar species), the short essays in this book discuss several aspects of avian biology, including migration, feeding, behavior, physiology, reproduction, evolution, and adaptation to recent environmental changes, and helpful indices break it down by topic and by species. Sibley notes in his introduction that this book "is not designed to be read straight through; it is designed to be browsed casually, so that different topics will spark connections and perhaps even a sense of discovery." While there are still many unknowns about birds and several of the topics in this work "are still being actively studied and debated by experts," the nontechnical language of these short essays is concise and accessible for adults to enjoy irrespective of prior knowledge. However, despite the title, there is not much on how birds think and feel: perhaps a better title would have been What It's Like to Love Birds. If you're looking for a deeper delve into the mind of birds, you may be interested in The Bird Way (2020, ISBN 978-0-7352-2301-1) by Jennifer Ackerman.
Rich with details and gorgeous illustrations, this compendium of facts about our feathered friends may be better suited to a coffee table than the field. Sure to delight casual learners and avian fanatics alike.