Extremely Accurate Birds: An Anatomically Precise Field Guide to Common Backyard Birds of North America

by Tommy Siegel

Have you ever taken a really good look at the bottom half of a bird? At long last, this birding guide from esteemed birder and New Yorker cartoonist Tommy Siegel, author of Candy Hearts, reveals the truth about the powerful legs and shapely rear ends that power our feathered friends to the skies! 

There's a reason brilliant naturalists from Audubon to Sibley have relied on illustration to bring birds to life on the Birds move remarkably fast and are often obscured by foliage; it would be nearly impossible to photograph them. But birding enthusiast and comic artist Tommy Siegel noticed a theme in these artists' Their renderings focus too heavily on birds' wings and plumage while reducing their lower limbs to simple sticks. Could birds really achieve such varied feats of athleticism and migratory endurance if they had such rudimentary legs? 

Now, Tommy is poised to revolutionize the field of ornithology with his interpretation of how birds' beautiful legs and posteriors must truly appear (based on educated scientific guesses gleaned from observing their behavior in the field). The result is Extremely Accurate Birds, perhaps the most anatomically precise collection of bird illustrations ever assembled. Pairing his trailblazing bird drawings with (actually accurate, for real) birding tips on more than eighty common species found across North America, Tommy has created an essential addition to any birder's shelf.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2026

Reviews

[Apriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best random find book I’ve come across in ages! It’s too funny! The drawings cracked me up and I like that it also included actual bird facts.

[Kryptomite · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't have purchased this myself, but nonetheless, it was gifted to me. I thought it was funny, but soon enough I found myself more interested in learning about the birds than their legs. By the end, the joke had run its course, but I found myself even more interested in birds than I already was, which a standard bird book wouldn't have done.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

If birding is going to creep up on all of us, we might as well be in on the joke. This hilarious (and genuinely educational) guide is your first step to the joy of going all in on discovering birds in your mid-thirties.

[Kendre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious while still having some good factual information. Tommy blends humor and his knowledge of ornithology beautifully. This is a definite must-have for anyone who is a fan of Tommy or booties (which, aren’t we all?)

[Samrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how much I've absorbed from this, but it was still an entertaining read. The bit did get stale as Siegel kept justifying why he didn't see each bird's legs - could have done without quite so many repetitions of the justification.

[Jess Neville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, hilarious, and legitimately informative!