A Dumb Birds Field Guide to the Worst Birds Ever
4.4 | 193 ratings
Price: 12.63
Last update: 01-04-2026
Product details
- Publisher : Chronicle Books
- Publication date : March 11, 2025
- Language : English
- Print length : 200 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1797232754
- ISBN-13 : 978-1797232751
- Item Weight : 12 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.1 x 0.51 x 7 inches
- Part of series : Dumb Birds
- Best Sellers Rank:#923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Bird Field Guides
- Cat, Dog & Animal Humor
- Customer Reviews:4.44.4 out of 5 stars(193)
Top reviews from the United States
- Amazon CustomerPerfect book for anyone who loves birdsThis book is beautifully illustrated and quite informative but the main thing is that it’s very funny! I bought it for my brother who was in the hospital and had a long recovery ahead. He lives in a hilly, wooded area and is blessed with lots of birds and other wildlife outside his window. I knew this book was the best thing to cheer him up and help him pass the time. It’s a great book for anyone who loves birds and enjoys a different take on their habits and personalities.
- himmelsgrauA Humorous, Crass Look at BirdsYou have to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate what Kracht is doing here. I own all three of his field guides on birds (The Field Guide to the Dumb Birds of North America and The Field Guide to the Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World are the other two).
The books are a humorous way to learn something about the birds we love--or love to hate, if Kracht's persona is to be believed.
In this book, in contrast to the others, Kracht adds a BUMMR rating to each bird to indicate its character deficiencies, which is a made-up score based on characteristics of the bird, like its drabness, loudness, or the one eagle that has actually been known to hunt human babies. In that way, it is not just more of the same compared to the other two.
Kracht also includes an appendix on bird feet as a general learning tool that adds another dimension to this book that goes in-depth beyond the basic illustration of bird parts that is in the other books.
The BUMMR scores and the curmudgeonly articles that accompany the drawings for each bird give a humorous look at each species.
You need a tolerance for some "foul" language and a willingness to have beloved birds berated by the author. If that bothers you, and you can't take the humor in stride, there are many straightlaced field guides that provide an education without the snark.
The author writes in a way that is easily digestible, and the drawings of birds as well as information included could be diagnostic for identifying the birds--but the main goal is the humor.
When I am tired, I don't grab my National Geographic Field Guides, or Sibley, or one of the many other excellent resources on birds that I have acquired over the years. Sometimes, I just need a laugh before falling asleep, not a standard account of species or a brain-burner treatise on advanced birding techniques. - RobbieHilarious descriptions.Hilarious book. Bought as a gift to my “birder” friend, and then had to get one for myself. I’m most definitely NOT a bird-lover, so the descriptions of all the birds really rang true to me. I ended up getting the whole series, and they’re all great.
- Steve CunoDanged clever and HILARIOUSI ordered this some months ago after reading a review, less because I planned to read it and more because I loved the concept and knew that a title like that belonged in my collection. But it found its way into my bathroom, making it inevitable that I would sooner or later crack it. Indeed, crack it I just did and—know what?—it is danged clever and HILARIOUS. Highly recommended.
- CrankyTodayShhhh... It's a Christmas presentIt's both funny and true. What could be better than that? The book is attractively printed and illustrated. The text is amusing. Paper is high quality. My only quibble is that binding is tight, so the book does not open comfortably.
- J.T. HumberBirds dumb, book goodIn case you're wondering, the field guide is fantastic. The binding is great, the paper quality is superb, and the illustrations are wonderful. It's the birds in the guide that are dumb.
- douglas duncanIf you like profanity this ones for youFull of crude language. author's vocabulary was very limited.
- PikyFun, playful, and actually informative.Hilarious gift for my sister who declared this to be “bird summer”. I think the author doth protest too much, obviously he loves all these rotten monsters with feathers. A fun coffee table book for the bird enthusiast.