Sibley, along with Crossley and Audubon, is one of the big names in birding, and has written many beautiful books about various aspects of bird life and identification, including several easy to use identification guides. This isn’t one of those books, which describe individual species in great, illustrated, detail. Instead, this slim volume discusses the techniques birders develop to recognize birds in the field—how to look for the field marks or listen to birdsong, where to look first, what the correct terms are for clear communication with other birders, and other bits of introduction to a challenging, relaxing pastime that anyone can enjoy, almost anywhere, making it an excellent resource for public libraries.

I purchased this as an introduction to Sibley's work. The book is a very rich and compact resource for birders. For me it was almost too much but once I realized there was so much to learn I was thrilled. Sibley presents the 'basics' in bite size pieces and the illustrations work really well in the kindle version. If you have any interest in birds, this is an excellent start! ( )

I agree a must for any birder backyard or traveler. ( )

Ignore the title; this is NOT a basic book. It is a very concise, easily readable small book that is full of information. A must for any birder. ( )