Title: The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America
Author: Matt Kracht
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Pages: 176
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date Started: January 7, 2019
Date Finished: January 19, 2019
Format: Adobe Digital
Genre: Nature, Humor

*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Everyone has a favorite animal, and usually this feeling extends to a least favorite animal. For me, my favorite is moose, and my least favorite, at a neck-and-neck tie would be monkeys and birds. And it appears that, for at least half of my list, Matt Kracht shares my sentiment.

A Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America is exactly as it sounds. If you are a bird, you should probably be insulted right about now. The book is structured into different types of birds, from “Backyard A**holes” to “Egotists and Show-Offs.” Each page features a different bird, with an altered, more appropriate name (think Western Meadowjerk instead of Western Meadowlark), a few details that will allow you to recognize them in the field (like their hat size), and a really nifty sketch of the birds.

While there is quite a bit of humor in this book, there were little nuggets of knowledge hidden in the bios for the birds. And the sketches were actually fantastic and very distinct for each species. The author truly knows birds, but understands what little turds they can be. I respect that.

I thought this was a fun read am glad I was provided the opportunity to review it.

Overall, 4/5 moose