Bird Bard Migrates To Syndication

By: Dave Astor About 70.4 million Americans participate in bird-watching every year, says a survey co-conducted by the U.S. Forest Service.

While only a third of the 70.4 million are very or somewhat serious birders, the popularity of this activity has more than doubled during the past 20 years, according to the same study.

David Allen Sibley knows this anecdotally, too. "Twenty years ago, you'd go to some of the best places for bird-watching and might see one or two other people. Now you see dozens," said the author/illustrator of the best-selling Sibley Guide to Birds (Knopf, 2000) and the weekly "Sibley on Birds" column recently launched by the New York Times Syndicate (NYTS).

Laurence M. Paul, executive editor of NYTS and the New York Times News Service, said: "The popularity of David's book ... and the growing popularity of the bird-watching hobby made me think there was a large audience out there that was not being served."

Why more birders, now numbering almost as many as the 71 million who go fishing? Among the reasons: more free time and discretionary income, the challenge of identifying birds that may quickly fly away, and the desire for an outdoor activity that doesn't harm wildlife.

Sibley's interest in bird-watching predates this boom -- he got hooked as an elementary-schooler. Having an ornithologist father no doubt helped pique that fascination for Sibley, now 40.

After a year of ornithological studies at Cornell University, Sibley spent a decade roaming the country to watch, photograph, and sketch birds. He devoted a dozen years to his 2000 book, which has 544 pages and 6,500 of his original paintings.

He also authored Sibley's Birding Basics, published this month by Knopf. And there's The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior co-authored by Chris Elphick and John B. Dunning Jr., who also co-write the column. Elphick is a research scientist at the University of Connecticut and Dunning is an associate professor of wildlife ecology at Purdue University.

Sibley said the column, in addition to providing information about bird species and more, also has a conservation message. The Massachusetts resident noted that suburban development, pesticides, and even outdoor cats take their toll on many birds.

Luckily, there are still plenty to see, especially during fall and spring migrations. But bird-watching can be done in the summer and winter, too. "Every week of the year is the best time for something," said Sibley, adding that, in areas of the country with mild winters, many birds don't head south.

The column is fewer than 300 words, for reasons ranging from small news holes to leaving room for Sibley's paintings. Elphick and Dunning do much of the writing, but the illustrations are solely by Sibley -- a self-taught artist who draws from his field sketches and photos. Sibley noted that paintings work better than photos because he can depict a bird from an ideal angle and eliminate extraneous background.

Among the column's dozen or so early clients are The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, The Denver Post, and The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. NYTS' Paul said the feature is available via separate text and art, or in a publication-ready format containing the text, art, headline, and logo.

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'Boondocks' Causes Stir Again

Readers React To Bush-Hitler Theme

There was strong reaction to an Oct. 13 "Boondocks" comic in which Aaron McGruder mentioned President Bush and Adolf Hitler.

In the first panel, one character notes: "Whoa. Some people in other countries are comparing Bush to Adolf Hitler because of his warmongering." To which Huey replies: "That's preposterous. Even I would never compare Bush to Hitler."

In the second panel, Huey -- obviously referring to Bush's suspect 2000 victory -- adds: "I mean, Hitler was democratically elected, wasn't he?"

Chicago Tribune Public Editor Don Wycliff said "The Boondocks" often generates complaints, but the Bush-Hitler strip generated more than usual. At least one reader contended that McGruder is allowed to say certain things because he is black. But Wycliff wrote: "It would probably be more accurate to say that he is able to see the things he sees because he is black."

Wycliff added that complaints about "The Boondocks" virtually always come from white readers, not black readers.

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Et cetera...

Universal Press Syndicate foreign-affairs columnist Georgie Anne Geyer is on a trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. ...

Creators Syndicate signed columnist Joseph Farah, founder/CEO/editor of WorldNetDaily.com. The ex-newspaper editor does a weekly column for the Jerusalem Post, has written for various U.S. dailies, and authored See, I Told You So with Rush Limbaugh. ...

United Press International's Science Wire is offering Alex Cukan's weekly "Animal Tales" column. ...

Andrews McMeel Publishing has released Groovitude: A Get Fuzzy Treasury by Darby Conley of United Media, Family Business by "For Better or For Worse" creator Lynn Johnston of United, What Now? by "Mutts" creator Patrick McDonnell of King Features Syndicate, The Legal Lampoon by "Non Sequitur" creator Wiley Miller of Universal, and Close to Home Exposed by John McPherson of Universal. ...

The Accurate Communications/Earglue on-hold messaging service is offering businesses a streaming-audio version of the "WorkWise" column by Mildred Culp of Passage Media (http://www.knoxcareers.com).

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