David Allen Sibley Books In Order

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

David Allen Sibley
David Allen Sibley was born in Plattsburgh, New York on October 22, 1961, and is an American ornithologist. He’s the illustrator and author of “The Sibley Guide to Birds”, which rivals Roger Tory Peterson’s as the most comprehensive guides for North American ornithological field identification.

David is the son of Fred Sibley, a Yale University ornithologist, and he started birding when he was a child. Sibley started bird watching in Cap May Point, New Jersey in the year 1980, right after dropping out of college.

As a largely self taught bird illustrator, he was inspired to pursue creating his own illustrated field guide after he led tours during the 80s and 90s and found that the existing field guides did not generally describe or illustrate alternate or juvenile plumages of birds.

Simple observation always leads to new discoveries and new ideas, and one of David’s greatest satisfactions is learning new things about the natural world. In his books he attempts to pass along some of this knowledge along with the joy and wonder that he has experienced through the years, in order to help others gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.

David cites Lars Jonsson (a European wildlife artist) as being a great influence on his work.

In the year 2002, he got the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association for lifetime achievement in promoting the cause of birding. Then in 2006, he received the Linnaean Society of New York’s Eisenmann Medal.

He is married with two sons. David is not known to be related to the ornithologist Charles Sibley, however his dad did study under and work for Charles while at Yale. Charles did a bit of genealogical research however they found they could be no closer than fourth cousins.

“The Sibley Guide to Birds” is a non-fiction book that was released in 2000. This is a field guide and reference work for the birds found in Canada and the continental United States. The book provides details on 810 species of birds, including information on life history, identification, geographic distribution, and vocalizations.

The book contains several paintings of each species, and is critically acclaimed for including images of every single one of the birds in flight. Two regional field guides that used the same material as this book were released in the year 2003, one for eastern half of North America, and one for the western half.

“The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior” is a non-fiction book that was released in 2001. This book shows the reader what birds do and how they live. It is different from the majority of field identification guides which birdwatchers typically carry around; instead of just helping identifying birds, this book helps watchers gain a much deeper understanding of the birds they have identified already.

Instead of just concentrating on individual species, this volume summarizes information for families of birds, and presents “broad patterns” that help the reader interpret what they are seeing. This guide includes almost 800 paintings from Sibley.

“Sibley’s Birding Basics” is a non-fiction book that was released in 2008. This is an essential companion to “The Sibley Guide to Birds” for birders of all experience and skill levels.

With David Allen Sibley serving as your guide, learn how to interpret what the anatomical structure, the feathers, and the sounds of the bird will tell you. When you know the clues which show you why there is no such thing as “only a duck” birding is going to be a lot more fun and meaningful, for you. It’s an essential addition to your Sibley shelf.

David turns his attention in this volume to the general characteristics which will influence the appearance of all birds, and unlocking the clues to their identity in the process.

In 16 essays and 200 beautifully rendered illustrations, this scientifically precise volume distills the essence of David’s own skills and experience, providing the reader with a solid introduction to “naming” the birds. The book reviews how one’s able to get their start as a birder, where and when to go birding, the necessary equipment, and possibly the most vital of all, the essential things you must look for when birds show up in the field. Along with the basic concepts of bird identification and all the variations which can change the appearance of a bird over time or in different settings. David even provides crucial info on the aspects of avian life which differ from one species to the next. Behavior, sounds, feathers (shape, color, arrangement, and molt), and habitat.

“What It’s Like to Be a Bird” is a non-fiction book that was released in 2020. The bird book for nonbirders and birders alike which will inspire and excite by providing a deeper and new understanding of what common, mainly backyard, birds and doing, and why. Like do robins ‘hear’ worms? Can birds smell? Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?

David, in “What It’s Like to Be A Bird”, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the birds that we see the most often. This large format and special volume is geared just as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, and covers over two hundred species and including over 330 new illustrations by David. Even though it focuses on familiar backyard birds (chickadees, blue jays, and nuthatches), it also examines certain species which can be fairly easily observed, like the seashore dwelling Atlantic puffin.

David’s exacting artwork and wide ranging expertise bring observed behaviors to life in such a vivid way. And for most species, the primary illustration has been reproduced life sized. And even though the text has been aimed at adults, including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad of ways that birds have adapted to environmental changes, the book is still nontechnical. This makes it the perfect occasion for grandparents and parents to share their love of birds with young kids, who are going to delight in the full-color and large illustrations of birds in action.

This is poised to bring a whole new audience to David’s world of birds, unlike any other book that he’s written and illustrated.