Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls

by Paul Bannick

Take a peek inside!

In Owl , award-winning photographer Paul Bannick uses his intimate yet dramatic images to follow North American owls through the course of one year and in their distinct habitats. Readers follow along at the nest as each stage in an owl’s life is courtship, mating, and nesting in spring; fledging and feeding of young in summer; dispersal and gaining independence in fall; and, finally, winter’s migrations and competitions for food. For owls, every day brings a new challenge to survive, and this book shows readers how owls use the unique resources available to them in their habitat to face those challenges. All 19 species found in Canada and the United States are featured in photos and narrative throughout the book, with a special focus on the Northern Pygmy-Owl, Great Gray Owl, Burrowing Owl and Snowy Owl.

SPECIAL FEATURES
• Details owls’ behavior throughout their four distinct life stages
• 200 new images, many of which feature rarely photographed behavior and most have never been published before
• A field guide that helps identify owls and compare each species.
• Perfect holiday book for all bird-watchers, wildlife lovers and for those who appreciate stunning photography.

Paul’s startling images reflect behaviors shared by all owls, as well as some surprising exceptions and adaptations. The four featured owl habitats―forest, grassland and steppe, boreal, and Arctic―each reveal wildly rich stories of their own. Owl is a stunning follow-up to Paul’s bestselling title, The Owl and the Woodpecker , giving bird lovers yet another gorgeous photographic tribute, engaging natural history, and a compelling call to preserve the habitats that sustain these most iconic of birds.

To learn more about Braided River and its inspiring people to protect wild places through images and stories that change perspectives, please visit

Genres: Birds, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Natural History, Art, Science

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 21, 2016

Reviews

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildlife photographers and Jane Goodall-ists are like superheroes to me, and their main superpower, their X ability, is to be able to sit quietly and patiently for hours on end, watching, or waiting for the perfect shot. I can do many things well, but waiting and watching patiently has never been one of those things (I'm working on that). Add to this that owls can fly, and it's not like Paul Bannick can flap his wings and fly after them. So just thinking about what it takes to get even a blurry, out of focus shot of anything, let alone something that can fly, blows my mind. These photographs are incredible. You, too, will come away with a mind imprinted with "Wow" and "How did he TAKE THAT PICTURE?" and "owls are beautiful" and "Owls are cool as f***." Bannick's prose is strong and good too. The structure of this book bothered me the most; it meanders around between bird species and it's not always clear (unless you are an owl expert) which species he is talking about or which photos match the prose. If this drives you nuts, just look at the extraordinary pictures.

[Ken Ransom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning photographsfocusing ont he Northern Pigmy-Owl, Burrowing Owl, Great Gray Owl, and Snowy Owl. The text gives a look into four completely different habitats where these owls reside. The book is worth taking the time to read as well as looking at the pictures.

[Roland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book on owls, and full of stunning photography.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesmerizing for an owl-lover like me and reveals so much I hadn't known and lets me see it in the astounding photos--lovely book!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owl

Below the oldest
On the forest floor
Runs the snowshoe hare
Escapes the vole's fate
Atop stands the ghost
Listen locate wait

by Paul Hsu 4-21-17

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well organized and informative but what really elevates this title are the author's terrific photographs.

[Cheryl]

I don't have time to read all the text, but what I did seemed interesting, at least for fans. The photos are wonderful, though not many are all that interesting/different. The ones that are, though, are ever so special. I particularly love the mom facing down the juvenile as it begins to try to lift off from a concealed nest in a snag - Bannick is pretty sure that she's signaling to it that it's not time for it to fly yet, and that is certainly what it looks like. Honestly, this would make a good gift for fans of owls.

Pima, Dec. 2022

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coffee table book with stunning pictures of many, many different kinds of owls - along with some narrative, of course. While I did read some, I mostly pored over the photos. Until they began running together so much that I wound up not even looking at all of them. In short, the spectacular became boring which is a terrible shame.

[Lynne Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful read to help get acquainted with various types of these glorious birds. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We currently have a barred owl holding seasonal residence in our backyard ravine. We've named him Toby and he's fascinating to watch -- when he decides to grant us an audience. :-)

[Monical · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible book (and you have to get the book!) with lots of tremendous photos. And esoteric info about owls, but that background should help a birder like me find them! (They are very hard to find!)

[Guen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures and facts

[Heydi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book with tons of facts and incredible photographs.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat book about owls. The author really focuses on four types of owls. Great photos.

[Abigail Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on owls! Covers all 19 north American species and has amazing pictures!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love owls, and this was a wonderful book to read!! Pictures are amazing!! If you love owls, I highly recommend this book!!

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photography was very good.

[Dex Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like owls, this is a good book. The photos are excellent.