It is written and illustrated by ornithologist David Allen Sibley.

The book provides details on 810 species of birds, with information about identification, life history, vocalizations, and geographic distribution.

It contains several paintings of each species, and is critically acclaimed for including images of each bird in flight.

Two regional field guides using the same material as The Sibley Guide to Birds were released in 2003, one for the western half of North American and one for the eastern half.

A second, updated edition of The Sibley Guide to Birds was released in 2014.