Are you a birder with relatives who constantly call to ask you what the weird bird at their bird feeders is?  Do you have a child in your family who you think is on the cusp of becoming interested in birds?  Is there a blank spot on your wall that is just begging for something beautiful?  Are you a fan of David Allen Sibley?  If you answered “Yes!” to any of those questions then you are going to be very excited to see what Mr. Sibley has been up to of late; a series of posters depicting the avifauna of North America.

The first, Sibley’s Backyard Birds of Eastern North America, has recently found its way into my hands* and will, as soon as I get it framed, be gracing a wall in my apartment.  In total, 98 species are depicted to scale on the poster, in 144 illustrations.  Though “illustrations,” as anyone who has seen Mr. Sibley’s field guides knows, is hardly a fair word to describe the images Mr. Sibley makes when he depicts a bird.  “Miniature work of art” would be more accurate, so let’s say that the poster contains 144 miniature works of art showing a total of 98 species.  But don’t take my word for it; check out the image below!

How anyone could resist this poster, which shows likely backyard birds that occur from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast, is beyond me.  I highly recommend picking one up, whether for yourself or as a gift.  It is beautiful and useful, a combination that is as rare as it is worthwhile.

The 2′ X 3′ posters are being produced and sold, framed or unframed, by Scott & Nix, and are available right now.  Go get one!

*Full disclosure: Scott & Nix sent me a review copy.