Conservancy Book Review 6
What It’s Like to be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds are Doing, and Why
Author: David Allen Sibley
Reviewer: Cindy Perry
If you’re a backyard birder or if you’re simply interested in learning more about the rich array of shorebirds, songbirds, vultures, waterbirds, or other interesting birds, consider David Allen Sibley’s artistic and research-driven book, What It’s Like to be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds are Doing, and Why. Sibley, a life-long birdwatcher and ornithologist, has authored many field guides and has contributed to numerous publications, including Smithsonian, Science, and The Wilson Journal of Ornithology prior to releasing this book in 2020.
Unlike typical bird field guides, this book helps readers understand the commonalities and complexities of these prehistoric creatures by delving into fascinating bird research, shared in layman’s terms. Included are 96 common American bird species and over 330 exquisite hand-drawn illustrations. Sibley answers many questions, such as
How do birds make decisions?
How do birds avoid predators?
How do birds problem solve?
Will birds become dependent on birdseed from feeders for their diet?
What should you do if you find a baby bird?
Sibley sometimes shares questions that baffle scientists and lets readers know when these answers are still unknown.
Some readers have noticed the organization of this book to be unusual with its intentional flexible design, including (1) an expansive introduction, (2) a portfolio of birds and essays, (3) descriptions for each of the 96 selected birds, followed by (4) a comprehensive list of research sources used. Sibley also shares two other chapters, “What to Do If…” and “Becoming a Birder.”
The introduction section is filled with general interconnected information about birds grouped in categories, such as Feathers, Bird Senses, Social Behavior, Survival, Threats to Bird Populations, Ecology and Conservation, and more. Each section begins with a brief paragraph, an overall description of the topic, followed by a bullet list (bird bullets, of course) of intriguing facts along with page references for readers to explore more details in the bird essay portion of the book. The introduction reminds me of a cross-referenced “CliffsNotes” whereas the bird essays segment elaborates on details.
Although What It’s Like to be a Bird can be read from beginning to end, many people may prefer to meander through sections inspired by their curiosity. Choose a section or bird that inspires you at the moment and soon readers will get trapped flipping back and forth through pages to make more new discoveries. Unfortunately, this loose design can be challenging for readers to quickly retrieve information. Although Sibley explains his organization of the birds, it would be helpful if he included a comprehensive table of contents.
Originally, Sibley intended to create a book for children, then as he became engrossed in the research element, he decided to create something geared towards curious bird-novices of any age who are interested in the science of birds. I highly recommend What It’s Like to be a Bird to anyone who is curious about birds and wants to develop a more comprehensive understanding of our living “flying dinosaurs.”