About.com Rating

The Bottom Line:

Every birder has questions they long to ask but that they keep to themselves because the questions seem too common, too silly or too easy to share with others or ask for help. Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me? has the answers, however, to many unusual questions a birder might ask, and many others they wouldn't even think of. Written in a friendly but authoritative tone, this book is a fun and informative read for birders of all experience levels, and every birder will have their craziest birding questions answered in its pages.

Pros:

• Quirky, whimsical tone and conversational writing styles are appealing and easily readable.
• Answers are thorough and well-researched with information birders of all experience levels will appreciate.

Cons:

• Though well-intentioned, the humorous sarcasm can occasionally seem abrasive and jokes may drag on without as much humor as may have been intended.
• Lacks any additional resource list for birders to find answers to any questions that may not be answered in this book.

Description:

• Title: Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me? More Answers to Common and Not-So-Common Questions About Birds and Birding
• Author: Mike O'Connor
• Publisher: Beacon Press
• Publication Date: October 2013
• Format: Softcover (electronic edition also available)
• Page Count: 195
• ISBN: 978-0-8070-1253-6
• Price: $12.95 (USD) – price for electronic edition may vary

Review – Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?

How much does it cost to run a heated bird bath? What bird can fly the soonest after it hatches? Has a New World species invaded England the way the English sparrow has invaded North America?

The answer to these questions and more are found in Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?, an anthology of quirky Q-and-As from Bird Watcher's General Store owner Mike O'Connor and a follow up to his first book, Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches? The book contains 76 questions and their well-researched, insightful answers, though anyone familiar with O'Connor's weekly "Ask the Bird Folks" column in the Cape Codder newspaper will likely recognize much of the material. The book is a republication of many questions O'Connor has answered in his column and from his store patrons, though some answers have been edited and updated as needed to create a fun and informative collection of birding know-how, trivia and cultural commentary, all with an avian twist.

O'Connor has a humorous, conversational writing style that offers exceptional information coupled with irreverent humor and self-deprecating personal anecdotes that make each answer relatable to every birder's experiences. His friendly tone creates laugh out loud moments and imagery such as…

• "When a flock of starlings hits a birdbath, it's like starting a blender without the cover." – Discussing the different bathing styles of backyard birds.
   
• "What's interesting about spoonbills is that, despite their apparent advantage, they rarely eat soup or even fish chowder." – Exploring the foraging style of roseate spoonbills.
   
• "It's a shocking red-orange, making the flycatcher look like a cross between a Scarlet Tanager and a traffic cone." – Describing the plumage of the vermilion flycatcher.
   
• "With a long beak in the front and feathers sticking out the back, its head looks like a pickaxe with eyes." – Describing the bill shape and crest of the hoopoe.

With such colorful commentary, readers can't help but smile not only at O'Connor's clever writing, but at how apt it is to accurately describe the quirks all birders appreciate about their feathered friends.

Yet this book is about more than making jokes or stringing together clever phrases. Each question – no matter how irreverent – is thoroughly answered with not only O'Connor's personal expertise, but also with appropriate research where needed. The questions range from practical, useful queries like why do Carolina wrens sing in the fall and how to clean bird houses to interesting trivia such as how the northern cardinal gets its name and the history of the domestic chicken and why it isn't listed in North American field guides. Of course, O'Connor does not shy away from some simply strange but fascinating inquiries, and readers will also learn why some birds may eat paint or what predators eat hummingbirds. With this wide mix of questions, birders of all experience levels and avian interests will find answers they seek in Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?

While readers who are devout fans of O'Connor's regular column may find this book repetitive, it is a charming and hilarious read nonetheless, and a great addition to any birder's reading list.

Want to get your bird questions answered? Buy Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me? today!

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Photo – Eastern Bluebird © OakleyOriginals