Comments on: Corrections to 4th printing of the Sibley Guide to Birds

By: Rhett Quigley

Rhett Quigley — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:32:09 +0000

Thank you. I am 13 and my brother and I really like birding. We almost know every bird in your book. Can’t wait for your next revision.

Rhett

By: David Sibley

David Sibley — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:15:05 +0000

Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll look into it for the next revision. For one thing, I know that the number of nesting Bald Eagles in the US has increased a lot in the last 20 years, so it’s likely that the data we used for the range maps would have shown fewer nests in West Virginia. Also, the range map can only show one color for each location, so if Bald Eagle is primarily a migrant or visitor to West Virginia, we might choose to draw the map that way even though there are a few nesting pairs. It becomes a judgment call then, but I suspect that with the increase in nesting it should be shown as a breeding bird now.

By: Rhett Quigley

Rhett Quigley — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:52:23 +0000

Why is your bald eagle range map wrong? Cause i live in martinsburg west virginia and in your guide you say there around here only in migration? I KNOW for a fact there around here cause my dad has seen them and there is a nest just 3 miles away from my house plus more nests and birds elsewhere in west virgina.

By: Anni

Anni — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:42:20 +0000

Thanks, I’ll look into Peter Pyle’s book. It’s too bad it has no illustrations.

By: David Sibley

David Sibley — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:38:51 +0000

Hi Anni, Thanks. I tried to simplify the subspecies information in the book so it would be more understandable and so people would see the “big picture” of variation rather than minutiae. Currently Peter Pyle’s Identification Guide to North American Birds is the best summary of subspecies and includes mention of other subspecies south of the US, but lacks illustrations. The BNA accounts (subscription) from Cornell is a bit uneven but getting better, and they’re also working on adding coverage of all Neotropical species, which is probably the closest thing to your wish.

By: Anni

Anni — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 02:18:01 +0000

I travel much and love your book. But, I think there’s one thing that’s missing: very few subspecies listed. It’s hard to know if, say, the hook-billed kite we see S of the US border is the same bird as can be seen here in the states. There’s a lot of mixing & a lot of movement & I LOVE keeping track of subspecies.
Thanks for your time.
(We have 6 of your books already!)
Anni Gossmann
PS There are many other bird guides that lack subspecies listings & it can get quite confusing knowing if the bird you saw in, say, Trinidad & Tobago is the same bird you see in Costa Rica or are they actually different (in terms of subspecies).

By: David Sibley

David Sibley — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:13:35 +0000

Hi Jeannette, A quick index for the first printing of the large Sibley Guide is still available at the Avisys website here (in both pdf and .doc fomats, scroll to bottom of page)http://www.avisys.net/field%20guide%20indexes.htm. The 4th printing and later of the large North American Guide, and all printings of the Eastern and Western Guides include a quick index just inside the rear endpapers, so there is no need to print your own.

By: Jeannette Quaid

Jeannette Quaid — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:19:27 +0000

I have a Sibley Guide to Birds published 2000. I understand there is a quick index which I can print out and place inside the front cover but cannot find it online. Would you send it to me please? Thank you.