David Sibley's ID Toolkit

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How to find birds in extremely cold weather

When temperatures drop, birds require food and shelter.

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PUFFBALL: A Golden-crowned Kinglet fluffs its feathers and tucks its bill into its back to stay as warm as possible on a cold day. Art by David Sibley

Tips for tropical birding

By David Sibley
Published November 8, 2020

Basic binocular skills can help you locate birds within dense foliage.

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Why birds pump their tails

By David Sibley
Published November 8, 2020

The behavior is a signal to predators to move along.

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The value of actively observing birds

By David Sibley
Published October 27, 2020

Why you should take a little extra time to look at birds.

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Why most birds look their best in fall plumage

By David Sibley
Published September 30, 2020

With new and unblemished feathers, David Sibley makes the case for birds looking their finest in fall.

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Northern Flicker’s fascinating color differences explained

By David Sibley
Updated September 16, 2020

David Sibley describes the two common forms of Northern Flicker — Red-shafted and Yellow-Shafted — as well as intergrades and rare abnormally colored birds.

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