This is a short guide to comics for bird lovers.
There are plenty of comics with birds in them, but a common problem is that makers of those comics don’t understand how birds work or what makes them charming. Instead, most bird-like characters don’t actually have any real bird-related charasteristics, manners and maneuvers.
I’ve recently come by quite a few good comics from creators who actually appear to understand birds. Whether you’re looking for a webcomic or printed manga, I’ll try to make sure this guide has something for you.
(And if you happen to know any more to add to the list, don’t be afraid to leave a comment!)
Birdy webcomics
Webcomics are great because they’re on the internet and they’re freeeeeee. Considering how there are hundreds of thousands of webcomics, I haven’t actually found all that many with birds. The good news is, the superb quality of the ones I’ve found sure makes for the lack of quantity.
False Knees
When it comes to bird comics, you can’t go wrong with False Knees. Go check it out. If you’re looking for the absolute bird comic for bird lovers, this is it.
Link: False Knees homepage
Bird and Moon
If you want to learn animal facts while having a laugh at the same time, don’t skip this one. While the webcomic is not exclusive to birds, there are plenty of feathered friends to gawk at.
Link: Bird and Moon homepage
Realm of Owls
(the shameless self-plug)
A dive into a realm full of owl people (and many other various creatures; some bird, some reptile, some other). Although not nearly as realistic as the aforementioned webcomics, Realm of Owls makes sure their birds come with tight grip on reality (as long as logic is allowed within all the required sillyness). For example, unlike real owls, the owl people in the comic can move their eyes. However, there is a reason for that: it’s all thanks to evolutionary changes. Baby owl people and actual owls in the realm are stuck having to turn their whole heads.
Link: Realm of Owls homepage
Birdy manga
Despite reading quite a bit of manga, I have one major problem with it. That problem is the fact that most series are written by people with very little real-life experience or research on the subjects they cover. Despite that, I have ended up finding a few charming series with much love put into their avian characters.
Sidenote: I’m reading all these in Japanese, and I’m not sure if there are English versions available…
Dr. Shiina’s Wildlife Encyclopedia
This is a story about a bunch of handsome zoologists. While the main focus is on the main cast and the drama surrounding them, there are quite a few animals around them most of the time. The first book contains a parrot, hill myna, pelican, crows, penguins and a barn owl.
Link: https://myanimelist.net/manga/26091/Shiina-kun_no_Torikemo_Hyakka/
Satsuma & Owner
This is a four-panel strip comic about owning a Northern White-faced Owl. This comic leans heavily on visual humor so it’s very entertaining even if you can’t read the texts (Vayandil can vouch for this).
Link: https://www.cmoa.jp/title/133887/
Supi
A comic about the hurdles of owning a Java Finch Sparrow. This comic is very wordy compared to Satsuma & Owner.
Link: https://www.cmoa.jp/title/121957/
Other birdy comics
Otus Opus
Story of a girl and her manta-ray. They meet a lot of silly fantasy owls.
Link: https://www.deviantart.com/myrntai/gallery/48129795/otus-opus-comic
Honorable mentions
Despite this being a guide to comics for bird lovers, I’ve left out a few popular comics from the main lists above.
This is mostly due to what I already explained in the beginning: despite having birds in them, the birds aren’t being portrayed very realistically.
Still, if lack of realism isn’t a bother for you, here are two cute little penguin honorable mentions:
