What It's Like to Be a Bird : From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing--What Birds Are Doing, and Why

The bird book for birders and non-birders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing--and why "Can birds smell?" "Is this the same Cardinal that was at my feeder last year?" "Do Robins 'hear' worms?" In What It's Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special large-format volume is geared as much to non-birders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than 200 species and including more than 430 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, such as the sea-shore dwelling Puffin. David Sibley's exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise brings observed behaviors vividly to life. (For most species, the primary illustration is reproduced life-sized.) 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 non-technical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with young children, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action. Unlike any other book he has written, What It's Like to Be a Bird is poised to bring a whole new audience to David Sibley's world of birds.