Customer Reviews

North American Owls: Journey Through a Shadowed World

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All of my favorite scenes in the Harry Potter movies involve owls. Now that I live in the woods, I can hear owls hooting almost every night, but how can I go about identifying them? Is there someone out there who is even nuttier about owls than I am? Someone who has actually spent nights out in the woods with a flashlight and camera, identifying these mysterious birds? The answer of course, is yes. Jim Burns, author of "North American Owls" doesn't write a 'mere' natural history text about these (mostly) nocturnal predators. He also narrates his journeys of discovery, from Alaska to southern Arizona, usually accompanied by Deva and the bumbles (his wife and two boys). His stories sing a mysterious, mythical, even mystical nocturne. He familiarizes us with "the more nebulous and mysterious aspects of [the owls'] darker side."

Owls are creatures of wisdom, harbingers of death. Even a naturalist of "reputed backcountry acumen and skill feels a little shaky thrashing around in the dead of night chasing ghosts." The chapter on Long-Eared Owls is written as a poem, and many of the narratives of other North American owls lapse into blank verse.

The book's photographs equal the beauty and strangeness of the text. One photograph of a Short-Eared Owl shows its head rotated so that its beak is pointed at 'two-o'clock.' I knew owls could swivel their heads around to look over their backs, but I had no idea they could rotate them like the hands of a clock. I laugh every time I come across this photo. The photos also capture the predatory nature of owls: bloody bits of rabbit and mouse dangling from their claws and beaks.

The author, Jim Burns, has been photographing birds for over 20 years and many of the pictures in this book are his. I am guessing from the text that his favorite photograph is one he took of a Northern Pygmy-Owl, silhouetted against a hazy solar disk, mouse clutched in talons--more art than identification photograph. My own favorite is of a soaring Snowy Owl, because that's the only owl I've ever seen, gliding down the road ahead of me on a cold December evening. I swear its wings spanned the entire width of the state highway. Big. Silent. Snow-colored. Eerie. A visitor from the Arctic that we Michiganders are rarely privileged to see.

This book also contains sidebars with identification features, habits, and range/habitat maps. A CD is included with the book that contains the vocalizations of all nineteen owls included in the text. My only complaint is that the author did not include his own vocalizations on each track in order to identify the owl that is hooting, screeching, or barking. You have to follow the track numbers in order to identify the owl--a small complaint indeed, concerning a very fine book.

Incidentally, one of the things I learned from this book is that Harry Potter's owl Hedwig is a MALE Snowy Owl.

Instead of creating another field guide, bird photographer Jim Burns has approached writing this book from a different angle. Covering 19 species of North American owls, he sets about describing his own personal observations and experiences with each species in a "journal of owling". His style of writing brings forth the mysterious and illusive side of owls and owling, creating in the reader a sense of desire to experience the owls as he did.
The writings for each species are accompanied by beautiful photographs, including wing detail from above and below. There is also a brief statistics table for each species covering description, size, vocalization, nesting, movements, habits, range and habitat.
Accompanying the Book is short audio CD containing the calls of each of the species in the book. Generally, it is the main call, but several tracks have alternative songs as well. For this reason, it would have been good to have a more detailed track listing than the one provided in the book.
Overall, "North American Owls, a Journey through a Shadowed World" is a splendid experience for any owl lover, and is likely to draw all readers to this unique bird family.

Mr. Burns has done a wonderful job in putting together this book for use by either a layman or a serious birdwatcher. I had the fortune to meet Jim and his wife Deva and they are fascinating people. Jim came across as very knowledgeable not just about owls, but about North American birds in general. His photography is superb despite the inherent difficulty of photographing owls. And the accompanying narrative is a delight to follow. Kudos to Mr. Burns for succeeding admirably on a challenging topic!

Showcasing the impressive photography of Jim Burns (a bird photographer of over 20 years experience), North American Owls: Journey Through A Shadowed World is a truly beautiful coffee table book that brings the reader on a wondrous journey of discovery of owls of all shapes, sizes, and habitats. North American Owls offers the reader an incredible wealth of fascinating information, background, lore, and unique insights -- including the "two rules of owling": owls never appear when and where they are expected, and owls always appear when and where they are least expected. An accompanying audio CD offers a collection of owl calls to listen for. Highly recommended for personal and community library ornithology collections, North American Owls is a simply superb giftbook selection -- especially for dedicated birdwatchers.

I've always been intrigued by owls. Jim Burns has as well. His knowledge and expertise are rivaled only by his sincerity and passion. His goal, via this book, is not so much that you come to understand owls...but that you come to appreciate owls. His goal is mightily accomplished.

Wow, what great photography. Jim Burns without question knows how to use a camera as well as his pen. The stories make me want to plan my next trip out into the wilderness. I will use the photography as a refrence for years to come. nice work

The pictures in the book are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! The details are excellent. I felt like I could reach out and touch the feathers of many of the Owls. I was totally awed.