Recently, I had the distinct privilege of interviewing North America's
best-known bird artist and author, David Allen Sibley. During our
conversation, Sibley talked about the long struggle with his first book, The
Sibley Guide to Birds. He worked on it for years, he said, trying to figure
out how to fit his drawings into the traditional field guide format of
pictures on one page and general information on the other. Because people
in the field tend to spend more time looking at the pictures, he wanted to
present more plumages - and he also wanted to include drawings of each
species in flight.
Those familiar with field guides will understand
immediately that the traditional format wouldn't accommodate so many
drawings of each species. Then it struck him that by splitting each page
into two columns, and then using one column for each species, he could make
it work. The result has been hailed as phenomenal. One birding guide said,
"This is a book I can take into the field and answer every question posed by
participants." A year after his Guide to Birds was published, his second
book, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior appeared. It is an
invaluable reference for everyone interested in how birds live, breed and
migrate.
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Now, Sibley's Birding Basics (Knopf, 15.95) is about to hit the
shelves. Due out on October 1, this book will be a great asset to every
birder wanting to sharpen his or her skills in the field. Contrary to the
pre-publication information available on the publisher's website, this is
not a book for beginners.
"I call it the 'personal trainer' of birding," Sibley said during our
interview. "This book is for those who are already interested in bird
identification." He added that the book is a good substitute for those who
might like to hire him for a week to teach them how to improve their birding
skills. Birding Basics does this by incorporating and analyzing all
available information such as field marks, time of year, lighting, etc.
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I requested the interview in order to write a column about him that
highlights his upcoming visit to Traverse City - he is appearing on October
15, 2002,** at a Traverse City signing and, later in the day, a library event.
After he had answered all my questions about his new book, I asked about his
views on back yard habitat.
He said that when he was a youngster, he could
ride his bike to some of his favorite birding spots - back yards with small
adjacent wetlands or overgrown vacant lots. He loved to watch things like
catbirds and thrashers he found there. Then, in the '70's, most of those
places were cleared for development, and his favorite species disappeared.
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"I have also seen the other direction in the two houses I have owned,"
he said. "As we planted butterfly bushes and sunflowers, a yard that had
supported only one or two species now supports a dozen species. If two or
three houses in a block of fifteen did the same, it would make a difference.
And if half the houses did the same, it would make a tremendous difference.
People would see how a simple and low maintenance garden can be attractive
for people and productive for birds."
It is wonderful to have this gifted artist's voice raised on behalf of
backyard habitat. Let's hope that at least half the people in every
residential block in this country heed his call."
** SPECIAL NOTE: Mr. David Allen Sibley will be in Traverse City, Michigan, at Horizon Books located at 243 E. Front St. at 3PM, and the Traverse Area District Library located at 610 Woodmere at 7PM.
Interview: Copyright of Kay Charter, September 2002
Kay Charter is the author of "For the Love of Birds" as well as the Executive Director of the non-profit organization "Saving Birds Thru Habitat". You can read more about the "Charter Sanctuary" by visiting the Grand Traverse Audubon website, Birding Sites, Charter Sanctuary.
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