article Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy. Handbook of the Birds of the World is the first work to describe and illustrate all of the world's birds. It is currently in production. The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley was published in 2000, and was widely regarded as setting a new standard for field guides in North America. The Collins Bird Guide by Peter J. Grant and Lars Svensson was first published in 2000, and was received extremely warmly by birders. It deals with the birds of the bulk of the Western Palearctic. The Big Year, by Mark Obmascik, was an account of a year-long birding contest, later turned into a movie. References Ornithological literature