For the Birds: Author Discusses What It’s Like With Feathers
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a bird, author David Sibley is your guy.
Not because he’s been a bird, but rather because he’s written what is widely considered to be THE book about birds.
“There are 47 million birdwatchers. But there is only one David Sibley,” said the National Audubon Society.
The Trinity River Audubon Center, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and the Dallas Museum of Art joined recently to host a virtual discussion by Sibley. If you missed it, don’t be down (see what we did there?) – you can still access it through July 28.
In What It’s Like to Be a Bird, Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often, including: “Can birds smell?” “Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?” “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?” “Are birds afraid of heights?”
The book is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than 200 species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author. While its focus is on familiar backyard birds–blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees–it also examines certain species that can be fairly easily observed regionally.
David Sibley’s exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. And while the text is aimed at adults–including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad ways birds have adapted to environmental changes–it is nontechnical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with children and teens, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action. Readers will also learn about birds’ complex decision-making skills and emotional lives.
David Allen Sibley is the author of The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, Hawks in Flight, and Sibley’s Birding Basics. He has contributed to Smithsonian, Science, and the New York Times. His books have sold more than 1.75 million copies.
To purchase tickets, click here.
