The Birding Dictionary

by Rosemary Mosco

With birding more popular than ever, this clever pocket-sized “dictionary” is a unique gift that celebrates the obsession with hilarious definitions and clever illustrations for over 200 terms that birders know and love.

A clever, humorous gift that's perfect for any birdwatching obsessive, The Birding Dictionary is a “dictionary” filled with hilarious and informative definitions for more than 200 birding terms, plus over 50 witty full‑color illustrations, by acclaimed science communicator and cartoonist Rosemary Mosco. Terms range from bird species, anatomy, and behaviors to the insider birdwatching jargon that all birders know and speak fluently, from "alpha code" to "zygodactyl." With equal parts quirky humor, accessible science, and small, impulse giftability, The Birding Dictionary is the latest in Workman’s legendary “pocket dictionary” series, which includes Golfing, Skiing, Sailing, and others, with a whopping 2.5 million copies in print.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Nature, Birds, Animals, Ornithology, Science

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2025

About the author

Rosemary makes books and cartoons that connect people with the natural world. Her Bird and Moon nature comics won the National Cartoonists Society’s award for Best Online Short Form Comic and were the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit. She makes best-selling science books for kids and adults and gives keynotes at birding festivals. She’s written and drawn for The New York Times, Audubon, PBS kids’ Elinor Wonders Why, Ranger Rick, and more. She’s represented by Seth Fishman. Her favorite glacial landform is the esker.

Reviews

[Corvus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a long time fan of Rosemary Mosco. Her comic Bird and Moon brings joy and levity to life in general, but also to the birding world specifically. It's strange to say this, because I initially got into birding as something that relaxes me: Birding can be kind of intense sometimes. There is a seriousness to it, especially if you are contributing to citizen science projects. This can sometimes lead to forgetting just how much we are in it for the birds and our love of them. Being a lister and doing remote bird surveys can sometimes end up frustrating and I become desperate for something to kick me back into the space where it all started. The Birding Dictionary brings that whimsical humor that comes with any niche community willing to poke fun at itself.

The author had me from the very start with an introduction page penned as a fantastical but realistic overly serious birder. I laughed out loud immediately. Every page that followed brought lightness to my days in these extra dark times we're living in. The dictionary aspect is an intentional design, but this is a brief cover to cover read full of jokes, fun facts, illustrations, and actual definitions- some of which were for terms I had not heard of before. Essentially, laugh AND learn.

This book would be great for any birder. I could see someone just starting out enjoying it as well as an expert with decades of experience under their belt. Hell, there's even a quote on the back from Sibley praising the book. You don't get a more famous niche recommendation than that and the birding world. I honestly wish I had more birders as closer friends, because I want to gift everyone a copy.

This book was truly an antidote for me. In both personal life and in relation to the larger world, things are pretty depressing. Even engaging in birding has been tough as a result. Looking forward to picking this book up each time and knowing I would smile was a simple pleasure I didn't realize I needed. This whimsical little book ended up being far more important to me than I realized it would be.

So, if you are into birds or honestly anything adjacent to birding like the larger natural sciences, this book is for you. I really enjoyed it and will likely come back to it regularly just to get a little taste of the happiness it brought me.

This was also posted to my storygraph and blog.

[Judith van Wijk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am now fluent in birding. I know the difference between a birb and a borb, that a shorb is a wet borb, what a yump is and what the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect is. All extremely useful information learned from a very funny book.

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin: it explains birdy words. It is actually very informative, and funny at the same time. Like the entry for 'morning': 

The part of a birder's day that begins with a bleary pre-dawn drive to a local preserve. As the sun rises in the frigid air, they'll wade through wet grass and take grainy low-light pictures of tiny birds. Once the day becomes properly warm and dry and normal people start waking up, it's time to heave a happy sigh and, filled with a deep sense of satisfaction, head home and check for ticks.

So true. 

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just go read this. You’ll thank me, and realize the world is better for having Rosemary Mosco in it

[Kenia Sedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel seen.

[Melissa Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed, I learned, I loved.

[Lars Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative AND funny

[Renny808]

Very fun! 🦆🦅🐧

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

DELIGHTFUL

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

(p68) hummingbird: A bee that has successfully tricked everyone into thinking it's a bird.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best dictionary I ever read. Also, the only dictionary I’ve ever read.

[Myrna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I audibly snorted at least 20 times. A very good gift for the Bird Person ™ in your life.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A laugh-out-loud dictionary about birds and bird watching!


I just love books like this that combine humour with non-fiction. You learn something and you laugh a lot! It took me a bit longer to get this book. It released May this year but there was no book to be found until August. But in September I finally had the book and I could read it!

Ever wonder what pyrrholuxia is? Or what a Hawk Watch is? Or BVD? Then read this book! In this delightful book we learn all about birds, birding, and more birds. As someone who loves birds (though not to the degree of some of the people in this book) I was eager to learn more new facts/definitions (and I did, whoo). We don’t just learn about various birds and their calls, anatomy, beaks, and feathers, but also about codes to use when birding, various weird things birders do (and some things you shouldn’t do), nicknames for birds, and more. Each word/abbreviation has a definition that have a nice mix of will make you laugh and will have you learn something. Like for instance, pellet, which is a blob of indigestible critter parts, but will also make birders so happy it is like they are shopping with the same glee as Dr. Frankenstein shopping for parts. Or mud bathes and it is good for a bird… but maybe not good for a human to do it (especially not at a Starbucks parking lot). I would recommend reading the book at random and not just A to Z. I had fun thinking of a letter and then reading the various words associated with that letter.

The illustrations completed the book, they were just so much fun and I love their style.

All in all, I would highly recommend this hilarious and fun book to everyone. This made me laugh so many times and I learned a lot~

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Hannah Buschert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosemary Mosco's The Birding Dictionary brings to light the odd things that birders say. If you have ever been on a "stake out" for a "mega", you might hear all kinds of terms as birders regale each other with stories to pass the time. Mosco has sourced terms from all over to help others learn what everyone is talking about. Her definitions are accurate, funny, and simple. At times I laughed out loud and others, I learned a new phrase.

The book is illustrated with some of Mosco's entertaining and beautiful artwork. This book is a great addition for birders and birding-curious to add to their collection. It's enjoyable, informational, and worth going back to again and again.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my unbiased opinion.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5

What is there to say about a book like this? This is a humor book, masquerading as a "birding dictionary" - meaning a dictionary of terms common to birders (ie obsessed bird watchers). Author Rosemary Mosco is clearly familiar with birders (perhaps she is one herself) and picks up on a lot of their language and abbreviations (I have some very avid birders in my family and can't escape a lot of their birding discussions).

For the most part, this is a delightful, humorous collection of terms - terms that can be taken in more than one way:

chat/ (...) 1. One of many songbirds belonging to various unrelated groups. (...) 2. A group text that people use to let each other know about a rare bird sighting (...)

raptor /( ... ) This term should not be confused with 1) a nickname for the dinosaur velociraptor , popularized by the (famous movie) franchise, or 2) a member of Toronto's NBA team. Unlike movie dinosaurs, most hawks cannot open doors, and their free throw percentages are nothing to write home about, either.

Sometimes the entries are just a little silly:

dust bathe/ (...) To roll around in dust, sand, or dirt. Many birds dust bathe (...) it seems to help them stay clean. (...) When a human dust bathes, she just gets dirt all over her clothes and people say things like "Ma'am, please stop, this is a Starbucks parking lot."

The book is a little on the skimpy side for a dictionary but then it's more a humor book than a dictionary. In fact, I think this is more of a bathroom reader for birders - something to keep them entertained on the throne after their cell phones have died searching for the latest 'twitchable' (hey, why isn't that in the book?).

This is the sort of book a non-birder gets their bird friend for Christmas, hoping they're willing to laugh at themselves as much as we laugh at them.

Looking for a good book? The Birding Dictionary by Rosemary Mosco is a humor book based on the lexicon of obsessive bird watchers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Birding Dictionary is chock-full of whimsy, clever wit, and the most relatable and charming illustrations imaginable. Not only that but informational birdisms are distributed throughout, educating me further on a subject I am passionate about. Er, obsessed with. This type of humour is so darned cute! Every single one of the A-Z entries is enjoyable and I often found myself re-reading them and chuckling while nodding my head sagely.

About 99% of these words or phrases are my favourites (!). Some include adorbler, alpha code (where have I been?), beak (bird mouth vs human mouth (I can't stand it!), egg (makes me smile just typing it), field mark, irruption, LBJ illustration, license plate suggestions (stop it!), nictitating membrane (I didn't know what this was called), owling table, trash bird (I'm looking at you, house sparrow, grackle and starling), and zygodactyl illustration with its flowery font.

It would be an absolute shame to miss out on giggling your face off at this bird book for any level of birder. Plus you'll likely learn something to boot! All of my family members are crazy about birds and will surely enjoy this book as much as I did. I can see us all unobtrusively sitting in a blind with our bins, books askance on our knees, stifling laughter as birds roll their eyes with disgust. Loved, loved, loved this!

[cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a review published in Forbes (what a weird place to find an excellent review):

"Ms. Mosco, a science communicator, acclaimed cartoonist, and – of course – a birder, combines expertise with her whimsical art and point of view so this dictionary is filled with often hilarious – and yet surprisingly accurate – definitions for more than 200 terms commonly used by birders, accompanied by 50 charming full-color illustrations. Terms include some bird species, some bird anatomy, and some behaviors (often peculiar) as well as the super-secret birdwatching jargon that all birders know and speak fluently, from “alcid” (“Many alcids look like someone put men’s formal wear on a potato”) to “zugunruhe” (“The seasonal, anxious motions of birders who are getting ready for migration. They may hop about, jump from perch to perch, or blow a paycheck on a scope.”)

The method behind her madness stems from Ms. Mosco’s belief that using humor to explain science (or birding) will excite people, make them laugh, and then share these amusing nuggets of information with their friends. I certainly enjoyed how the author uses both words and art to get her readers to think differently about something that we may have become inured to."

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hesitated to get this, since I'm not a birder (although Mosco would argue otherwise, lol). I figured the humor would probably work best for birders, and I was correct - this is probably my least favorite of Mosco's works that I've read.

That said, it still had some good moments, and I particularly liked the glimpses into birding drama.

Mosco's illustrations, as usual, were great. The LBJ was cute, and I snickered at the illustration for "seabird."

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[elstaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pull quote/note
"fulvous ... Tawny or orangey-brown. This word appears in many bird names, such as the Fulvous Whistling-Duck, the Fulvous Owl, the Fulvous-dotted Treerunner, the Fulvous Parrotbill, the Fulvous-breasted Flatbill, the Fulvous-crowned Scrub-Tyrant, the Fulvous Hawk-Eagle, and the Fulvous-chinned Nunlet.*
* One of these bird names is fake. Can you guess which one?" (56) I did in fact guess it, but still am pleased that all the other species in this list do, in fact, exist as named

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has many strong points. It is very informative, with the author using a highly conversational tone and a lot of humour. There were even some laugh-out-loud moments and some passages were so good I would keep re-reading them. The illustrations are excellent. Out of fairness, I should also point out the book’s weak points but there weren’t any. The book was great cover-to-cover. Thank you to Netgalley and Workman Publishing Company for the advance reader copy.

[Elena Gaillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mosco's bird art makes me squee. I love her simple and elegant drawings, and her intelligent humor. If you're a birder, you will love and appreciate this book. If you know a birder, give them a copy. If you're NOT a birder...well, try one of her other book collections of nature comics. You won't be sorry.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do world politics have you feeling depressed? Are you disheartened by climate change? Did you simply have a bad day? Set your troubles aside, and grab this book. Warm, witty. It will amuse and delight you. And, yes, you just might laugh out loud. A gem of a book.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a birder, but I may just take it up after this. A very entertaining, and even informative, guide to birding terms. Hard not to feel inspired to go looking for feathered friends after reading it!

[John Amoroso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from Rosemary. Funny and educational, packed into a little book. Recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in birds.

Hint: When trying to find this bright yellow book on the bookshelf, the spine is blue.

[Pipope Panitchpakdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I'm birding from Thailand, it's great to know that birders worldwide share the same kind of obsession. It is a fun book that brings many laughs. One also gets to learn a little bit about birding etiquette entertainingly.

[andré crombie · Rating 4 out of 5]

metamorphosis /ˌme-tə-ˈmȯr-fə-səs/ noun: The biological 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 your photos later.

cute little glossary!

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious book that pokes fun at real birding terms by providing funny descriptions and interpretations of the terms. You may also pick up and learn some birding terms that you can use in everyday life, but remembered in a funny way.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book! Full of educational, funny, and accurate definitions. The book also includes a lot of cute/fun illustrations. Great as a bathroom reader, waiting in line reader, or before bed reader.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite things I've read this year. how can a dictionary be so good?? The wit and humor are too notch, especially if you're a birder. My only criticism is the lack of silhouette of an eagle with a heavy fish. How will I know now if it's a duck or not??

[DMC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, and just the thing if you want something lightly amusing, nerdy, and distracting from all the bad stuff in the world. I’m not serious or skilled enough to be called a “birder,” but even I enjoyed the book a bunch and laughed at some of the truths most evident.