David Allen Sibley, son of the well-known ornithologist Fred Sibley, began seriously watching and drawing birds in 1969, at age seven. Since 1980, he has traveled throughout the North American continent studying the natural world, both on his own and as a leader of bird-watching tours. He is the author of several guides to bird identification including The Sibley Guide to Birds, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, Sibley's Birding Basics, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, and The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America.