David Allen Sibley is an American ornithologist

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

. He is the author and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds

The Sibley Guide to Birds

The Sibley Guide to Birds is a reference work and field guide for the birds found in the North American region as defined by the American Birding Association. It is written and illustrated by ornithologist David Allen Sibley. The book provides details on 810 species of birds, with information about...

, considered by many to be the most comprehensive guide for North American field identification.

Life and work

The son of Yale University

Yale University

Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

 ornithologist Fred Sibley, David Sibley began birding in childhood. A largely self-taught bird illustrator, he was inspired to pursue creating his own illustrated field guide after leading tours in the 1980s and 1990s and finding that existing field guides did not generally illustrate or describe alternate or juvenile plumages of birds. He cites European wildlife artist Lars Jonsson

Lars Jonsson (bird artist)

Lars Jonsson is a Swedish ornithological illustrator.-English:*Birds of Sea and Coast Penguin ISBN 0140630031*Birds of Wood, Park and Garden Penguin ISBN 0140630023...

 as a great influence on his own work.

Sibley is married, with two sons, and currently lives in Concord, Massachusetts

Concord, Massachusetts

Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...

. He is not known to be related to ornithologist Charles Sibley

Charles Sibley

Charles Gald Sibley was an American ornithologist and molecular biologist. He had an immense influence on the scientific classification of birds, and the work that Sibley initiated has substantially altered our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern birds.Sibley's taxonomy has been a...

, although his father studied under and worked for Charles at Yale. Charles did some genealogical research but found they could be no closer than fourth cousins.

Publications

The following is a list of publications which Sibley has written or illustrated:

• The Birds of Cape May
• Sibley's Birding Basics
• The Sibley Guide to Birds
  The Sibley Guide to Birds
  The Sibley Guide to Birds is a reference work and field guide for the birds found in the North American region as defined by the American Birding Association. It is written and illustrated by ornithologist David Allen Sibley. The book provides details on 810 species of birds, with information about...
  
  
• The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior
• The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
• The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
• Hawks in Flight
• The Sibley Guide to Trees
• Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds, edited by Billy Collins

External links

• Sibley Guides: Presenting the Work of David Allen Sibley
• Blog- Sibley Guides Notebook
• David Sibley Interview at Virtual Birder
• Nature: About David Allen Sibley Random House Interview