The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
National bestselling book: Featured on Midwest, Mountain Plains, New Atlantic, Northern, Pacific Northwest and Southern Regional Indie Bestseller Lists
Perfect book for the birder and anti-birder alike
A humorous look at 50 common North American dumb birds: For those who have a disdain for birds or bird lovers with a sense of humor, this snarky, illustrated handbook is equal parts profane, funny, and—let's face it—true.
Featuring common North American birds, such as the White-Breasted Butt Nugget and the Goddamned Canada Goose (or White-Breasted Nuthatch and Canada Goose for the layperson), Matt Kracht identifies all the idiots in your backyard and details exactly why they suck with humorous, yet angry, ink drawings. With The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, you won't need to wonder what all that racket is anymore!
• Each entry is accompanied by facts about a bird's (annoying) call, its (dumb) migratory pattern, its (downright tacky) markings, and more.
• The essential guide to all things wings with migratory maps, tips for birding, musings on the avian population, and the ethics of birdwatching.
• Matt Kracht is an amateur birder, writer, and illustrator who enjoys creating books that celebrate the humor inherent in life's absurdities. Based in Seattle, he enjoys gazing out the window at the beautiful waters of Puget Sound and making fun of birds.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
I like birds just fine, but I don't know that I really am particularly interested in birds. So I don't know why I was so drawn to Field Guide.
The impression I get from this book — correct or not — is of someone who fell into bird-watching, realized it was boring and terrible but kept doing it and had all this bird knowledge to share even though they think the whole endeavor is stupid. And that made for some pretty fun reading, wherein I snickered aloud a lot at the snarky, rude humor. It was a perfect bedside table book, since every page is a good stopping point.
Earlier this weekend, I learned that my friend Parry has an uncle in Maine whose entire life philosophy is “birding in the morning, sailing in the afternoon,” and she doesn't particularly have any interest in birding either, so I'm going to give her my copy.
Dec. 10, 2020: I bought this at my local bookstore this weekend (huzzah Blacksburg Books!) and the cashier told me it was far and away their number one bestseller. XD
