Member Reviews

I will confess right here. I am a ‘birder’ or someone who enjoys watching birds. This little spoof of a field guide caught my eye and it is quite amusing for anyone who knows a little about birds, or for anyone who wants (or thinks they want) to take up the rewarding habit of birdwatching.

"The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America" by Matt Kracht is a slight book with hand-drawn pictures of common birds of North America (although most of the birds seem to be West Coast birds; where Matt lives) and descriptions of the birds given in a unique style.

The title should set the tone for the book. In reality, I think Matt likes birds, and enjoys being a birder although he presents his ‘field guide’ with snarky comments about their behavior and their looks. Take the cover model, the White-Breasted Nuthatch, a pretty little bird who comes to my feeders year round. Matt calls them White-Breasted Butt Nuggets and describes their free-loading personalities and quirks of eating upside down.

The book starts with a funny story about how he starting watching birds and drawing them. He talks about how to use the book, where to find birds, what you need to start the hobby, parts of a bird (the drawing is quite informational), the main bird shapes (sometimes you can’t see a bird clearly like at dusk or from behind, but the shape of the bird can give you a start on identification) and a great section on the ethics of bird watching.

Section two is a small selection of common birds he describes with colorful language (lots of cussing here) and has beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. They are not divided into classes of birds, like most field-guides. I am not sure how he selected which birds to include in this ‘guide’. They are both east, west, and middle USA birds, with mostly west coast represented. My favorite designation are the birds he calls ‘Murder Birds’ mainly killers like the Great Gray Shrike who impales their pray on thorns (kinda like the heads on spikes that Count Dracul liked to decorate with) and the Cooper’s Hawk who eats other birds.

Section three is tips for watching birds, like what you need to see them (like binoculars). Section four is about the four seasons of bird watching and what to expect. I think this is a brilliant section; most field-guides don’t bother with this information. There is a section on extinct birds, how to pick the right birder feeder for your yard, how to make your own bird feeders, and how to keep a bird journal. I love the screen shots of his own bird journals, they are funny, sarcastic, yet oddly beautiful.

Could a newbie birder use this book? Yes, and no. I think it would be a great gift for an experienced birder to get a good laugh. As far as a newbie, it could spark an interest in birding and the book does have some information about markings and behaviors to learn about bird identification, but a standard field guide will also be necessary. I would love to see more from Matt but in a more organized fashion with the classic bird groups represented and maybe a mention of online resources including birding lists would be helpful.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did. I could do without all the swear words and teenage boy humor but the observations are mostly spot-on and the drawings are great.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Chronicle Books for the chance to read the ARC.

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This book was a laugh that I've been needing. There were times when I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. And, at the same time, it's genuinely informative! Kracht does a wonderful job of letting the humor and the facts shine through and it is a winning combination. There is a lot of strong language, so it's probably not a good book to share with your kids. However, if you or someone you know seems to have a vendetta against birds, this is a great book for them. If you're looking for a good place to start adding bird watching to your hobbies, this is a great book for that. It not only identifies common North American birds but Kracht also gives some genuinely good advice on starting your own bird watching journal, how to do bird watching in the different seasons, and even what kinds of bird feeders work best. I really enjoyed this book and am happy to give it four hoots!

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3.5/5

I quite like this book. The sarcastic humor was right up my alley and I cracked a good amount of smiles, which is always a good thing as I very much appreciate a humorous read. Personally, I know nothing about birds other than how much of a nuisance they can be. Despite how humorous this guidebook is written, it is good to note that the author does provide insightful information about bird watching, which left me a little more informed about birdwatching, or birding.

Unfortunately, when I received this ARC from NetGalley, the pictures were blocked out due to copyright, which I'm sure took a part of the reading experience away from me as I've seen some of the pictures from other reviews and they're hilarious and very well drawn at the same time. I'm certain that my rating would've been higher if I was able to see the drawings in the book.

Overall, despite this being targetted towards bird lovers or something of the sort, it is still very much a beginner's guide friendly for those who know nothing about birds

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OK, I love birds and I love sarcasm and this book perfectly blended the two. It had me laughing out loud for most of it and smiling for the rest. Seriously, this is for both bird lovers and bird haters and anyone in between.

The book is a super quick read with some really snazzy illustrations that keep the pages flipping. I’m sure you could actually use this for some form of identification but it is primarily for entertainment. I will say, however, that this seriously motivated me to start keeping a similarly hilarious journal on my bird sighting and what nefarious things they might be up to. I mean, why is that robin just staring at me for hours on end? He’s got to be up to no good…

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I have been bird watching for as long as I can remember. I must have five bird identification books on Birds of North American, West of the Rockies. But, even if you have all of those and more, you will want this book. This book is both snarky, and serious. Funny and fun. It gives you true facts, mixed in with bizaar thoughts.

He has also renamed birds, mentioned in here, for his humor and amusement.

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<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-4885" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-11-at-12.07.55-AM.png" alt="" />

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The Western MeadowJerk, instead of the Western Meadow Lark. The Dork-eyed Junko, instead of Dark-eyed Junko.

He gives little sort of true, sort of snarky comments about each bird. Until he gets to the crows, whom he refers to as the Damn Crows.

<blockquote>Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! That's pretty much it with these jerks.</blockquote>.

He says a little bit more about the American Robin, whom he called the Dumb-Ass Robin. "They are an excellent source of food for cats".

About the rock pigeon he writes "Oh my god, do I even need to talk about this bird? You can blindfold these birds, and they can find their way home. What's even the point? Save your tiny blindfolds for some other bird, I guess."

This is the sort of guide you can buy as a gift, but that will actually help you identify the birds aorund you. It would also make a good gift to your birding friends.

Lots of fun.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

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This book is hysterical. As a bird watcher I too get frustrated by certain birds hoping all over the place. The author had my in stitches several times and I know a number of people that this will make a great gift for.

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Consistently hilarious, wildly imaginative/unique, and well-presented (for starters), Kracht's delivering us a fantastic satirical version of your garden-variety bird guide overflowing with profanity and snarky insight.

Before you stop reading, you should know that, despite the comedic angle, this still functions as a competent bird guide: You're given further (legit) resources for how to get into bird-watching more, tips on where to sit, what to bring, how to conduct yourself, and what kinds of feeders to install. Is it as comprehensive as one you'll find in the local library? Hell, no, but that's not what Kracht is trying to do here; what's low-key being done is introducing an appreciation for the animals, but through a different lens then you're used to, and that's his love-hate relationship with the birds.

In addition to the genuinely funny bird descriptions, we're treated, as you'd expect, with illustrations (I presume they're in pen and colored in later?) on each bird. These sketches are perfect representations of the tone of the book: They're educational, unique, but, having a slapdash aspect to them, defiantly impose a level of disrespect.

Any nature lover that doesn't take his or herself too seriously will get a kick out of this. Great coffee table book, a short read, and one-of-a-kind.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the advance read.

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be a delightful mix of snark and knowlege. The drawings are wonderful.
The book includes maps of migratory patterns and a section on extinct birds.

Would definitely recommend as vacation reading for a trip to Bodega Bay.

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I recently moved into a house with a backyard that has made me decide to put up bird feeders and see what would happen...and what happened is eerily described in this humorous look at the birds we share our planet with.

Hilarious but also begrudgingly respectful of these tiny flying dinosaurs, Matt Kracht's book is sure to be the go-to for amateur bird watchers like me.

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Ah, this book. It’s utterly irreverent. A good gag gift for a nature lover with an inclination toward low-brow humor. It’s pretty crass; I’m not even sure the title page didn’t have profanity. One could actually learn something from this book. But one would have to be willing to suffer through some ridiculous humor. For some, the renaming of the birds could get stale after a few. Some of the names aren’t all that clever, but every once in a while, I’d laugh out loud. OK, pretty often.

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