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…

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.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4884" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-11-at-12.10.29-AM.png" alt="" />

<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="" />

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-4886" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-11-at-12.02.19-AM.png" alt="" />

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.