The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition

Why it's worth it

Sibley's second edition covers more than 800 North American species with over 6,600 original watercolor illustrations. It's the field guide most experienced birders point beginners toward, and it works as well on a coffee table as in a backpack.

This is the gift you give when you're not sure what they already have. A field guide is personal but not risky — there's no sizing, no taste, no compatibility question. Sibley's second edition has stayed the top-selling North American guide for over a decade, and the American Birding Association keeps recommending it. If your recipient somehow owns a copy already, it's the kind of book people happily keep two of, one for the car and one for the shelf.

Illustrations beat photographs for identification, and this is the best-illustrated guide out there. Sibley painted more than 6,600 images himself, showing males, females, juveniles and seasonal plumages side by side. A photograph captures one bird in one light on one day. A painting can show the field marks that actually separate two look-alike sparrows. Owners who've used photo-based guides for years tend to say this one finally made the distinctions click.

From our review of 7 gifts for birdwatchers

What we like

• +This is the gift you give when you're not sure what they already have
• +Illustrations beat photographs for identification, and this is the best-illustrated guide out there
• +It also holds up as an object

What to know

• –It's a heavy book — about three pounds and nearly ten inches tall
• –It covers North America only