David Allen Sibley - The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America: Second Edition

Acknowledgments

I should begin by thanking everyone who has ever taken the time to talk with me about birds, and especially everyone who has published anything about bird identification. Their ideas, in one form or another, have been incorporated into this book. I wish it were possible to name more of them, as this book represents the combined work of hundreds or even thousands of people. Below, I name only the people who were directly consulted on this project (with sincere apologies to anyone I have overlooked), but the contributions of all the others are no less significant.

In the intricately connected internet world today, an idle question or a posted photo can prompt an investigation that leads to some new discovery. The science of bird identification has become a global collaboration with countless conversations happening simultaneously. I make no pretense of being able to keep up with all of it, and obviously it is impossible to thank all of the participants by name, but I learn a lot by browsing photos and discussion online. I can merely offer a generic thanks to all who continue to add to our knowledge of bird identification.

I have been fortunate to have lived at Point Reyes, California, and Cape May, New Jersey, and to have worked for WINGS, Inc., making friends and sharing ideas with many of the most knowledgeable and insightful birders in North America. Thanks to all.

For answering queries, reviewing drafts, and providing photos, reprints, and other material assistance, thanks to Per Alstrom, John Arvin, Richard C. Banks, Alan Barron, Barb Beck, Bob Behrstock, Chris Benesh, Craig Benkman, Louis Bevier, Bryan Bland, Tony Bledsoe, Rick Bowers, Eric Breden, Ned Brinkley, Rick Cech, Patrick Comins, Richard Crossley, Mike Danzenbaker, Jon Dunn, Pete Dunne, Barny Dunning, Vince Elia, Chris Elphick, Ted Eubanks, Shawneen Finnegan, Frank Gallo, Kimball Garrett, Frank Gill, Paul Guris, Lucas Hale, Bob Hamlin, Keith Hansen, Paul Holt, Steve Holzman, Eric Horvath, Julian Hough, Steve N. G. Howell, Rich Hoyer, Alvaro Jaramillo, Kevin Karlson, Kenn Kaufman, Dan Lane, Greg Lasley, Sheila Lego, Paul Lehman, Tony Leukering, Ian Lewington, Jerry Liguori, Bruce Mactavish, Bob Maurer, Brad Meiklejohn, Shaibal Mitra, Steve Mlodinow, Joe Morlan, Killian Mullarney, Marleen Murgitroyde, Frank Nicolletti, Blair Nikula, Michael OBrien, Dennis Paulson, Brian Patteson, Wayne Petersen, Ron Pittaway, Bill Pranty, Noble Proctor, Peter Pyle, Martin Reid, Michael Retter, Gary Rosenberg, Margaret Rubega, Will Russell, Ray Schwartz, Debra Love Shearwater, Brian Small, Ray Smart, Mitchell Smith, P. William Smith, Rich Stallcup, Clay and Pat Sutton, Mark Szantyr, Thede Tobish, Jeremiah Trimble, Declan Troy, Joe, Sandy, Catherine, and Michelle Usewicz, John Vanderpoel, Dave Ward, Paige Warren, Sophie Webb, Scott Weidensaul, Sheri Williamson, Tom Wood, Gail Diane Yovanovich, and John Cameron Yrizarry.

Staff at the following institutions provided logistical support and/or access to collections: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University; Slater Museum, University of Puget Sound; California Academy of Sciences; VIREO and the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia; American Museum of Natural History; United States National Museum; Peabody Museum, Yale University; University of California, Berkeley and Irvine; North Carolina State Museum; Louisiana State University; Cornell University; Macauley Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; University of Alaska; New Jersey Audubon Societys Cape May Bird Observatory; Point Reyes Bird Observatory; Manomet Bird Observatory; University of Georgia, Athens; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; University of Arizona, Tucson; and The Nature Conservancy.

My family has supported my desire to draw birds since preschool days; the love and support of my parents, Fred and Peggy Sibley, has carried me through all these years, and the practical benefits of having an ornithologist father cannot be overstated.

I thank my agent, Russell Galen, for smoothing the way.

Special thanks are due to to George Scott and Charles Nix of Scott & Nix, Inc.

Thanks to the editing and design team for the first edition at Chanticleer Press.

I thank John Cameron Yrizarry for reviewing all the original artwork and for offering many helpful suggestions.

Thanks to technical reviewers of the first edition Will Russell, Kimball Garrett, Jon Dunn, Steve N. G. Howell, Chris Elphick, and Frank Gill. Will Russell provided generous support and advice at all stages of this project, from indulging my wanderings in the early years to the careful reading of the entire manuscript.

I must single out the influence of the late Ray Schwartz, whose companionship and support through the formative years of this project were a constant source of strength.

Last, I thank my wife, Joan Walsh, and my sons, Evan and Joel, who really made me believe that I could do thisand then managed to put up with the lifestyle that developed as a result. Its doneonce again!

Western region of North America covered in this guide.

Sibley Birds West Checklist

The following checklist includes all species included in the second edition of the guide. Arranged by family in taxonomic order, each entry includes the common name of the bird with its corresponding page number. The seven species in this checklist appended with a dagger () are considered extinct.