The author of the popular Sibley Guide to Birds and other books explains bird behaviors and field marks, birding techniques, and more.
As the winter feeding season approaches, a perennial identification challenge looms: Purple Finch versus House Finch. The two species are close relatives. Both are sparrow-sized … Read More “David Sibley: How to tell Purple Finch from House Finch”
Many birders are understandably frustrated by changes in birds’ names, and in the sequence of species on checklists. It can be hard to keep up, … Read More “David Sibley: How to make peace with changes to your checklist”
The essential first step in birding is simply finding birds to watch. Moving to the next step — identification — is possible only after a … Read More “How to use your binoculars to find more birds”
A key to appreciating bird song is learning to decipher a little bit of its meaning. Most of the information it contains is beyond our understanding, but … Read More “How details of bird song reveal details of birds’ social lives”
The brilliant yellow, orange, and red that you seen on many birds are not just for decoration; the colors send an important message about the … Read More “David Sibley: How reflected light gives birds their most vivid plumage”
When we talk about identification, we tend to focus on differences, but it can be instructive (and reassuring) to think about similarities. In fact, understanding … Read More “Sketches by David Sibley reveal similarity and variation in bill shape”
Experienced birders can often identify a bird after seeing only a flash of movement. The way a bird moves from perch to perch, how it … Read More “David Sibley: You can recognize groups of birds by the way they move”
Most of the dramatic seasonal changes in a bird’s appearance are the result of molt — that is, the replacement of old feathers with new. … Read More “David Sibley: How birds can change color without molting”
Late summer is a time of transition for birds and a time of tremendous variety for birders. You can see adult birds in breeding plumage … Read More “David Sibley: What the changing colors of a songbird’s bill mean”
