Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make

by Becca Rowland

A hilarious, informative, and vibrantly illustrated guide to 101 bird songs that sound surprisingly familiar.

Have you ever gone for a walk in the woods and wondered what bird was making a sound like a siren going off, or somebody revving a chainsaw engine—or sneezing? Do you hear birds every day, in the park or your neighborhood, but never know quite what you are listening to?   

Birds are singing all around us, and author and illustrator Becca Rowland, aka Girl in White Glasses, connects the dots between their songs and the birds who make them, helping you to easily identify and remember their calls. Combining illustrations of common and rare birds with fascinating facts and whimsical descriptions of their calls, this book is full of humor and charm. 

From space lasers to cheeseburgers, Bird Talk introduces you to the weird and wonderful world of bird songs.

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

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2025

Reviews

[Laura N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Birding is fun, but sometimes finding creatures who are experts at camouflaging themselves high up in trees and who possess the ability to fly away can be hard. That's where birding by ear comes in. But with so many birds in the world, how do you know which one is singing? Enter Becca Rowland and her social media account which describes birdsongs in ways anyone can understand. Bird Talk puts into to book format what she has been sharing online for years. This delightful book translates bird song from around the world into language a human can understand by comparingit to everyday sounds people are familiar with. It is an easy, enjoyable read sure to delight birders of all levels.

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways To Identify Birds From The Sounds They Make is a unique, educational, humorous, lighthearted, and engaging read! I love the formatting of this book! Each bird has an illustration, funny blurb on the illustration, and some awsome facts written in an engaging way. I am so impressed by this author's humor and ability to help the reader see nature in a completely different light. This is definitely a book for nature lovers, bird watchers, joke tellers, and anyone who is ready to try something new....you'll probably end up loving this like me!

[Roxana Rathbun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is hilarious and it was fun to look up the birds to see if the sounds matched up.

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous take on how to identify bird calls with fun speech bubbles throughout. There were many I didn't think really sounded like what the author was describing, but it was a quick, comic look at a common subject.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, informative, entertaining and gorgeous illustrations.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

For people who dislike the idea of using the Merlin app, comes this book that describes birdsong thoroughly through the layman's ears. You don't need to know phonetics, or the onomatopoeia-style anglicised variation of what birds come up with ("krk, krk" et al), you just need to know what a chainsaw, a bout of snoring, a few police sirens of the world and the "Psycho" music all sound like. Yes, you're right, that does make birds as well as "The Birds" sound very Hitchcockian. This is a sensible way to get genned up on the birds you're hearing (here in the UK there most distinctly is a bird that goes "Teacher, teacher!" and probably countless others who have slipped my mind) – so this should have been a fine way to get these things in our heads, with a touch of humour and surprise.

So it's a shame that almost half the pages here are pretty much useless cartoons. Is that the biggest sin here – for it's a fairly big sin? Well, we definitely start on American territory, which is fair enough – and then have quite a few tits that are very common in UK and Europe, although the chunk of this deemed 'birds foreign to the US' is very much Australasia-minded. So I wouldn't have got great value for money from this, especially as while I know little of the world's avian critters, I think I do know enough…

The British "Teacher, teacher!" is of course a great tit, which this says sounds like a mobile phone (it clearly doesn't) – and that's only before this decides "Teacher, teacher!" is the output of an ovenbird, which I'm just not hearing – I can't define what that little beauty does sing, but it's not that. So there's a lot of subjective interpretation here (no peacock I've ever heard is calling "Hello!" over a distance, that's for sure), and frankly I think the birds just aren't having it.

I'm frequently woken up by the neighbourhood crows, and when it's not the crows it's the rooks, and if not them the stupid pigeons. But one of the crows has a unique call, much more like a telephone than the rest. We had one in the neighbourhood recently that thought it spoke seagull. And there is no end of talent in these critters, that mimic human sounds, or just make up jumbled alien rubbish – the starling for one can riff like there's no end to their noises.

So, no, this isn't a successful book for all audiences everywhere, no, this doesn't get it right much of the time (I mean, I could have googled everything to check but thought my time better spent), and yes the birds I know are certainly smarter than this – and that's before I think again of those annoying cartoons. A fine idea I would have loved to have crowed about (tee hee) but ended up barely giving a hoot for – one and a half starlings.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmingly illustrated Bird Talk is a delightful book resplendent with comical bird identification descriptions according to the sounds they make. As a twitcher myself, I devour all the bird books I can find. The descriptions here are brief but memorable. There are 10,000 bird species worldwide which means we will never run out of material!

Ever think you hear the sounds of shutters of paparazzi cameras, machine guns, kazoos, tapping a pencil on a table or a squeaky whiteboard in your garden or nature? Chances are you are hearing the great-tailed grackle, shoebill, long-eared owl (they are fairly elusive but I have had the pleasure of seeing a parliament of them huddled together on a branch), yellow rail (also shy but we have a resident one in our nearby marsh), and American kestrel. Of the 101 birds described here, I have had the pleasure of observing many as I live in both North America and Europe. We often hear what sounds exactly like newborn kittens, dragging a stick along a wooden fence and water sprinklers in our garden. Makes sense...they are outdoor sounds...but in our case, they are not what they seem. The loudest bird in the world is highlighted here as well.

This book is clever and relatable. My husband and I happily assign names to "our" birds according to the sounds they make, a beautiful cacophony of countless species especially during the mornings and nights. The sounds are as varied as their sizes and colours. Some give goosebumps, others make us chuckle. This book would be an amusing addition to any bird lover's library.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Bird Talk is a lighthearted but useful and accurate guide to IDing birds based on the sounds they make collected by Becca Rowland. Released 24th June 2025 by Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's 256 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

The author has a wry sense of humor and the book is absolutely full of clever (and accurate!) descriptions of the everyday sounds made by different North American bird species. She covers the common to the rare and each species description is accompanied by delightfully rendered simple (but identifiable) illustrations.

Four stars. Fun and quite useful. It would be a good choice for public or secondary school library, for home use, or for gift giving to a nature-loving friend.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Brynn Sowder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and quirky book for bird lovers. It includes ten sections with different categories like: “Birds with Unique Sounds”, “Birds That Sound like Other Animals” and “Birds That Sound like Us”. Each section includes a sampling of birds with corresponding sounds from every day life that the bird sounds like. I found myself looking up the birds sounds to see if a Red-breasted Nuthatch really did sound “like a truck beeping as it backs up”, it does. 😂

Fun illustrations accompany each page. Would make a great gift for the bird enthusiasts in your life.

There is a chapter called “It Doesn’t Mean What You Think: Birds with Suggestive Names” so a little adult humor there, in case parents are wondering.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

#BirdTalk #NetGalley

[Hannah Buschert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca Rowland's Bird Talk is a funny, fast-paced read about birds and their calls. I have been a birder for 15 years and know many of the mnemonics that folks use to identify bird calls... however Rowland has many different ways to describe their calls using comparisons that I have never heard or thought of. She had me laughing out loud at some descriptions. Each entry has a brief description of the bird and a bit about where they are found intermixed with some humorous crack at the bird.

This book is a quick read and could easily be referred to over and over again. Interesting for birders...who don't take it all too seriously or are interested in learning different takes on beloved species.

Thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful introduction to the personality and sheer individuality of birds to a non-birder. Of course, to birders, the naming of birds by their calls will be an additional asset to identify birds in their own areas at least. To a city dweller whose sole association with birds is the pigeon, there can't be a more moving para than the homage the author pays to pigeons, which have bonded with man for millennia, but have now been rejected by us as vermin and pests.

Not just the writing, but the illustrations (by the author) are both brilliantly vibrant and expressive, and wickedly satirical of birds as well as of us and our way of life.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a bird lover and a self-professed bird nerd, I was excited to read this book! Illustrations, humor, easy and entertaining reading, and information gets four plus stars. I do feel this book would be better if it were divided into regional areas instead of types of birds. Although it's interesting to read about, knowing how to identify a bird that lives in a country that I've never been to and most likely won't ever get to isn't super helpful. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would put it somewhere around 3.75 Stars if that were an option LOL.

[Leslie McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick, funny, and enjoyable read. It does give some accurate descriptions to help one remember common birds they may encounter in the US. Some things will actually have you laughing out loud. I love the illustrations, though they were a little bit distorted and messed up on a Kindle. This would be a fun book to purchase for the birders you know or for anyone who would like to become a birder.


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.

[Cat S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book which goes through how to identify different bird calls making comparisons to more everyday noises with a good deal of humour. It does deal with popular birds worldwide, but it is mostly focused on North America, there are less examples of birds from other continents.

I like the way this book was presented. I wish it was more balanced in its examples across the world. But I would recommend for the bird lovers from The North American continent.

[Billy Easeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun!
will i remember any of the noises and be able to identify any birds from now on? 100% no. BUT I loved this book, super light hearted, love the illustrations (even though the formatting is super messed up on a kindle), the explanations of birdsong were really cool and I loved the fun facts about different bird species around the world!! just a great little read.

[Melissa Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I could have read this in a day but I chose to take my time and read a little at a time. I follow the author on Instagram and LOVE her videos. Bird sounds don't always translate well to the written word, but her comparisons are so spot on that you can definitely hear them as you read. If you enjoy Rosemary Mosco, you might like this one, too.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book and from the bird noises I did know it was very accurate. The pictures were lovely and I liked the analogies. My partner liked it because I keep giggling. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

[TsarinaTyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the bird calls ... some were so funny because they were described perfectly in a very clever way! The illustrations are terrific as well. Buy this book for any bird lover you know!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, funny, and informative! My daughter and I would pull up the actual bird calls from the Cornell Lab to see if we agreed with the descriptions, and we agreed with many of them. The writing style reminds me of Rosemary Mosco.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining, hilarious descriptions of bird sounds related to common sounds that we recognize, nice bits of bird facts & information and wonderful illustrations! A very unique book that is worth reading every page and admiring the art.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing read with adorable drawings and captions (but I didn’t always find the suggestions about how to identify bird sounds very accurate).

[Jan Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this humorous little book about bird calls. It has a charming writing style and provides some very interesting facts. If you love birds, this is a quick, fun read.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have to admit that I skimmed this, stopping at birds I know and some of the funnier descriptions. Very cute book, I'm sure I'll eventually get into birding so this will be useful!

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lighthearted and quick, appreciated the vibrant descriptions.

[Mark Tadder]

Legitimately hilarious from cover to end

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have your cell phone ready, and enjoy reading about and listening to silly and memorable descriptions of the sounds birds make. This book is a delight and it’s perfect for bird lovers of all ages.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


I just adore books about birds, birds are such wonderful creatures. And when I saw this book along with the subtitle: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make. I knew I had to request this book!

And I am glad I did, I laughed so much while reading. OK, there were a lot of birds that are only in the US, so I never heard them (or only vaguely), but there were also plenty of birds that I did have in my Europe regions and at points I could only nod along and laugh. I love that this book, unlike many others, actually give you a relatable sound. No this bird does chirp cheep cheep and add a thrill to this part and a low bar there. Oh no, in this book we get to read about birds that make a sound that sounds like Cheeseburger. Which yeah, I guess if you hear that one you may think you gone crazy and wonder if that is the hunger talking or something else. But there are also many others, like swings creaking in the breeze. Or when you got that cough stuck in your body. Or car alarms. Or a leaky faucet. For each bird there is a sound.

There are various sections with the birds in them that fit that section. From Basic Birds (which sound rude, but well is 100% true) to Birds that sounds like other animals (that penguin for instance) to Scavengers and many more. I really liked seeing what was in each section, but of course, the most important thing for me was, what is that sound?? And now I know that herons make chainsaw sounds, which makes me wonder if all the times I have heard chainsaws it was that bird, I mean, I have heard that sound in such weird times, haha. And I definitely need to listen to some tits, the ones we have around then, like the Eurasian Tit, I need to see if it really makes a noise like a morse code being send. There are so many birds that I would love to hear in real life, because I knew a few of these thanks to Youtube/TikTok, if only I was in America, oh wait, eww, no. Sorry Americans. Though I would also love to visit those in other regions. For now I guess I will just stick to Youtube/TikTok to get the sounds. I really had a lot of fun reading this one and seeing what birds make what sounds + get some more information on the bird. In a funny way. Because even with the relatable sound this could get a bit boring, but instead the book brings a lot more humour along and so I was just laughing hard and enjoying myself a lot, which is nice because I am writing this in February with a terrible flu. I could use some laughs.

Also found in those sections are small essays about facets of the bird. From eggs to nests to much more. I really liked that those were added as the broke the monotone of bird x sound it makes. They were just as interesting to read as the sounds so that is also fun.

The illustrations were just A-Plus. I loved the added text bubble to the bird and see what he had to say this time, which often made me laugh.

So, you need a laugh? You like birds? You want a guide that gives you an actual sound? Then be sure to check this one out!

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

[Regina Mastrogiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book for people who are just getting into the bird world. The book talks about some common bird in North America but also birds around the world you probably never see in person. While I was reading the book, I would highlight the bird on my tablet and use a search engine to hear the actual sound of the bird, which is pretty cool. While listening to the various bird, I would explore more details about the birds life. I loved the illustration and found the descriptions of the birds funny and delightful. Terrific book.

I want to thank Storey Publishing | Storey Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book about Birds