The Birding Dictionary - by Rosemary Mosco (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

With birding more popular than ever, this clever pocket-sized guide is a unique gift that celebrates the obsession with hilarious definitions and witty illustrations of terms that birders know and love.

Acclaimed science communicator and cartoonist Rosemary Mosco offers a clever, humorous "dictionary" that's perfect for any birder. The Birding Dictionary is filled with hilarious and informative definitions for more than 200 birding terms, plus over 50 witty full-color illustrations. Terms range from bird species, anatomy, and behaviors to the insider jargon that all birders know and speak fluently, from "alpha code" to "zygodactyl." With equal parts quirky humor and accessible science, it's a delightful gift for every bird enthusiast.

Includes:

American Robin noun: a device that converts worms into 100-decibel songs outside your bedroom at 4 a.m.

metamorphosis noun: the process in which a rare bird transforms itself into a common bird when you lift up your binoculars to view it, point it out to an expert, or look more closely at yourphotos later.

stakeout noun: a gathering of birders that evokes action-movie vibes, but mostly involves waiting in a damp field, shifting from foot to foot, and looking up until your eyes ache.

Review Quotes

"Sure to put a smile on your face."---- Bird Conservation magazine (American Bird Conservancy)

"Rosemary Mosco is one of the world's most insightful (and entertaining) observers of birds. In this wise and witty new book, she turns her binoculars the opposite direction and takes a look at birders instead. The result is a lively, perceptive, and gently hilarious view of the birding community. I loved it. Highly recommended!"----Kenn Kaufman, editor of Kaufman Field Guides

"Best. Dictionary. Ever. In any subject. A bunch of birding words and phrases, given really concise and informative explanations, all presented in Rosemary's inimitable style: funny, irreverent, whimsical, thought-provoking, and fully entertaining."----David Allen Sibley, author of The Sibley Guide to Birds

"Birding is one of the most rewarding and joyful hobbies in the world. It is also very, very, very silly. No book better captures that delightful duality than Rosemary Mosco's laugh-out-loud funny guide to the ludicrously amazing and amazingly ludicrous world of birds and birders."----Ed Yong, author of An Immense World

About the Author

Rosemary Mosco is a science communicator, acclaimed cartoonist, and speaker on all things bird. She has written and drawn for The New York Times, Audubon, and elsewhere, and she is the author of A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching and co-author ofTheAtlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid. She lives in Massachusetts.