"Sibley's more than 6,500 opaque watercolors, which took him four years to finish, fly off the pages with eagle-eyed detail, superb color and consistent, true-to-life poses and flight postures. . . . The guide's nifty introduction whets the beginner's appetite without insulting veteran birders. Close-ups of ''bird topography'' identify every visible part and feather. Sprinkled throughout are succinct mini-essays on bird identification, including diagrams of the swoops and dives that some male hummingbirds use to woo females. . . . So, lug it along with the binoculars on that next hike. Or find a comfortable spot for poring over it back home in the nest. Either way, The Sibley Guide will soar." --USA Today

"The ideal bird identification guide. . .raises the standard. . .High-quality paper and a sturdy binding, along with a new type of flexible cover, gives us a book that will stand up to the heavy use that it is bound to get. . . .Stunningly illustrated. . . Undoubtedly the finest guide to North American birds. . . .The consistency in artistic style and breadth of plumage coverage, along with David Sibley's vast knowledge on the subject, combine to give North American birders a guide far superior to all previously available. I stand in awe; I have nothing but praise." --Guy McCaskie, Birding

"A tour de force. . .Everyone should have a copy--one for each car, one for every home.. . .I love this book." --Henry T. Armistead, Audubon Naturalist News

"Anywhere from 42 million to 60 million Americans consider themselves bird watchers. . . . A good field guide is a bird in the hand. . . . Sibley's guide is a treasure of valuable information [with] often exquisite paintings." --Time