“I love this series and cannot wait for the next installment! People squeal with delight when they find it and know exactly who to gift it to. If you can’t get enough ‘weird legs’ and ‘egotistical jackasses’ of the bird world, this book is for you!”
— Meghan Hayden, River Bend Bookshop, Glastonbury, CT
Description
A USA Today Bestseller As seen on The Today Show!
Professional birding amateur and national bestselling author Matt Kracht has had it with these goddamn birds. His new book is a warning, a field guide to help you identify and stay away from the absolute worst birds ever to plague planet Earth. Featuring an all-new scientific scale devised by the author that proves how awful birds really are.
We can all agree—birds are terrible. They're stupid and won't shut up.
Featuring fifty of the absolute worst birds to fly the earth, Kracht identifies each of their most terrible qualities, details exactly why they suck, and shows you why with furious (but actually quite lovely) full-color drawings. Including all-new, all-worst fowl, such as:
The absolute waste of feathers Cruddy Turdstone (Ruddy Turnstone)
The utter a-hole Blank Staring-Eyes Flycrapper (Black Paradise Flycatcher)
The outright loser Dowdy Woodfucker (Downy Woodpecker)
And many more
Even the author's previous bird takedown guides are no preparation for this hilariously harrowing collection of squawking, conceited, trash-eating, and even murderous idiots. The horror. The horror . . .
LOVE BIRDS? HATE BIRDS?: For those who hate birds and for bird lovers everywhere with a sense of humor, this illustrated handbook is equal parts profane and funny, and—let's face it—true.
BESTSELLING AUTHOR: Matt Kracht is the author of the bestselling Field Guide to Dumb Birds series, including The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World, and The Big Dumb Bird Journal, and (in a startling turn of enthusiasm) OMFG, BEES!
ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL: This uproarious guide to all things wings includes migratory maps, tips for bird identification, musings on the avian population and classification, and more. Plus, each entry is accompanied by facts about a bird's (annoying) call, its (dumb) migratory pattern, its (downright tacky) markings, and more.
TRULY THE WORST BIRDS---A MUST-HAVE GUIDE: Even if you're familiar with the winged disasters from Matt's previous guidebook/warnings, buckle up. From the introduction: "Birds are TERRIBLE. I have spent years, YEARS, of my life studying birds. Watching them. Analyzing their behaviors. Determining their ‘contributions’ to the world. I am an expert, so believe me when I tell you this: Birds are horrible people. And the birds included in THIS book are, by far, the worst of the lot. Of all the shit-eating birds that I’ve had the misfortune to catalog over the course of my career as a scientist and professional bird critic, THESE birds take the absolute SHIT-CAKE!"
GREAT GIFT FOR BIRD LOVERS: Pair with The Field Guide to Dumb Birds Sticker Book to create the perfect present for full-on bird experts and amateur birders alike.
Perfect for:
Birdwatching and nature enthusiasts
People who think birds are creepy or annoying (and people who love birds but also enjoy a good laugh)
Anyone looking for the ultimate coffee table book or bar-top conversation starter
Gift givers seeking a fun, quirky gift for their favorite bird enthusiast or animal lover
About the Author
Matt Kracht is a professional birding amateur, writer, and illustrator who enjoys creating books that celebrate the humor inherent in life's absurdities. He is the author of the bestselling The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World, The Big Dumb Bird Journal, The Field Guide to Dumb Birds Sticker Book, and in an enthusiastic change of pace, OMFG BEES! Based in Tacoma, Washington, he enjoys gazing out the window at the beautiful waters of Puget Sound and making fun of birds.
Praise For…
“This field guide is all about the asides, which salt the text and appear as penciled notes alongside Mr. Kracht’s strange and hilarious paintings. Most of his humor is NSFW, not least for the sudden barks of laughter it will elicit…I was fully prepared to dislike this book; after all, I love birds. But I laughed all the way through, helplessly endorsing it, page after page.”—Julie Zickefoose for the Wall Street Journal
As seen on the the Today show!
“This field guide finally gives Northwest birds the razzing they so richly deserve….It’s worth a flip through 200 pages of name-calling, derogatory drawings and all-out diatribes, some profane from Kracht‘s fictional narrator, an anonymous, comically embittered birder.”—The Oregonian
A March Indie Next List Pick!
PRAISE FOR THE DUMB BIRDS FIELD GUIDE SERIES:
"[A] genius handbook."
―Refinery 29
". . . Sort of natural science reimagined as a spurned lover’s drunken rant."
―The Washington Post
"25 Best Gifts for Bird Lovers: If they love birds and a good laugh, this field guide could be the perfect gift. Filled with sarcastic ink drawings, critics say it'll make them laugh out loud."
―Good Housekeeping
"Full of NSFW names and descriptions for different species that'll have you LOL-ing even if you never actually go looking for said birds IRL."
―Buzzfeed
"This book exists solely to make us giggle."
―BookRiot
"Forget birdwatching, this is bird-roasting!"
―Bored Panda
"Packed with snarky illustrations that chastise the flying animals in a funny, profane way. "
―Uncrate
"If you’re looking for a laugh, some facts, and an introduction to plenty a bird that you didn’t know existed, this series of books and the calendar are sure to please."
―Geek Mom
"You need this book if you want to lighten up your birdwatching."
“I love this series and cannot wait for the next installment! People squeal with delight when they find it and know exactly who to gift it to. If you can’t get enough ‘weird legs’ and ‘egotistical jackasses’ of the bird world, this book is for you!”