Customer Reviews

The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters With North America's Most Iconic Birds (With Audio CD)

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4 star:		(3)
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What a beautiful book! The text is well-written and educational. It explains the connections and ecology and habitat needs of these species beautifully. And after reading it I clearly understand how these two families of birds are connected and how important the woodpeckers are to so many other species, as well as the health of habitats. I am an owloholic and I learned some new things about owls from this book.

The photographs are simply stunning. What I like about them is that they are action shots. So many photos of birds, especially owls, are of the birds perched and looking beautiful. And those are great. But, Paul's book has AMAZING active shots of owls being owls and woodpeckers being woodpeckers and that is what makes it stand out from other books. I can only imagine how many hours he put in to get some of the intimate shots of the birds. We are the lucky readers who get to reap the results of all that hard work. This book is a great addition to a birder's and/or naturalist's library and would be a great gift for either!

The sound of an owl calling in the middle of the night really does seem like a secret and private invitation, an irresistible beckoning from a different world. This book holds the key to that world, detailing a relationship between owls and woodpeckers, and its far-flung consequences among many other species, which I found unexpected and complex. The beautiful photos are intimate--the comic and vulnerable "old man" faces of a family of baby owls; a nobbly trophy wall of hundreds of glossy nuts embedded in the soft trunk of a dead tree--and loving. The text is full of satisfying detail about the habits of all the species of owls and woodpeckers found in the Pacific Northwest. Finally, the cd in the back features the calls of some 40 species, which I loved because it helped me identify the screech owl who woke me up last night. A really gorgeous book that all bird enthusiasts will appreciate. The photos alone are engrossing.

The photos in this book are so stunning that my first several passes through are National Geographic style - studying pictures and reading the captions. The author/photographer has captured actions I've witnessed, but never been able to really see.

Finally, I settled in for the read. I enjoy the habitat-based chapters as an organizational framework and I went first to the habitats with which I'm most familiar. The author combines a breadth of information on the birds, their habitat and conservation issues, and his experience observing and photographing them. At first this felt choppy, but then I embraced it in the context of his discovery of birds and photography as a child (shared in the introduction). He is offering mentoring through his text. Not all aspects will immediately resonate with each reader, but many seeds will be planted and some sparks will catch (be prepared to invest in binocular, camera, and trips to nature next).

The CD offers the owl and woodpecker calls and songs presented in a manner familiar to birders for identification and study.

I expect that this book will launch more than a few new birders, starting them first with two charismatic families of birds. When I am through admiring my copy, I'll pass it along to a young person (middle school through high school) and follow up with an invitation to go birding when the owls start calling.

This book is in a class all its own. I have purchased and read dozens of books about birds, and this being about my two favorite species, made it a must have. The photographs are beyond spectacular. He has proven himself to be a patient photographer, getting images that can only be captured, because of hours (if not days and weeks) on each subject. The writing proves that the author is an artist, not only with his camera, but also with his pen. It is an informative book, written in a engaging and lively fashion. He writes with the passion that so many of us share, for not only the birds we love, but the natural world, that needs our protection. You don't want to put it down. This book is truly a masterpiece, filled with nuggets of information, and seasoned with humor. After all my years of birding, I discovered, I still have much to learn about these special birds, and their communities.
The CD recording is wonderful, and engaging. Each bird is introduced in a soft spoken manner, and does not disrupt the flow of studying the voices of each bird. The background sounds, makes it seem you can actually close your eyes and go to that forest, tundra, or grassland, and see not only the focal bird, but the other birds in the near distance. Martyn Stewart did an exceptional job.
I cannot wait for more work from these two. I just hope they have another project in mind.
I highly recommend this book!The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters With North America's Most Iconic Birds

Fabulous book...Paul Bannick is one of the finest bird photographers of all time and he's at the top of his game in "The Owl and the Woodpecker." The text is fascinating, as well, covering the interesting topic of the interrelationship of owls and woodpeckers in a way that will draw in not just the bird lover, but anyone with a fascination with nature. Plus - the book comes with a CD of owl and woodpecker calls and sounds that is wonderful. I'm waiting for the next book!

I've been a birding book collector for nearly half a century, and somehow this is the most striking and appealing bird book I've ever seen. Something about the combination of owls and woodpeckers -- both so fascinating in their ways -- accurate and well-written descriptions for each of the full-page pictures -- and the pictures! They simply leap out of the page toward you! Also, at about 8x10 inches, it's not overwhelmingly heavy, but still substantial as a little coffee table book or a somewhat larger field guide. Don't miss it!

Marylee Stephenson, Ph.D., author of GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

(review posted by A.Knecht as Marylee does not have access to an Amazon account)

Seattle-based photojournalist Bannick's connection to the natural world is evident in this stunning collection of photographs. Obtaining these active images requires not only patience but also expertise in the homes and habits of his quarry. Bannick captures his subjects eating, nesting, hunting, courting, growing up and more.

Organized by geographic habitat, from "Pacific Coast Urban and Suburban Habitats" to "Arctic Tundra," Bannick covers all 41 species of owl and woodpecker. The text, while not scintillating, is clear and informative, providing a detailed life view of each bird and its relation to its environment, including other birds.

The cavities of pileated woodpeckers, for instance, are vital for the nesting of red-breasted nuthatches whose beaks aren't up to excavating their own. And the wells of yellow-bellied sapsucker feed ruby-throated hummingbirds.

The photographs are truly breathtaking. Bannick captures the birds in every aspect of their lives. Anyone with a love of wilderness and/or beauty will enjoy this book.

When this book first arrived, I saw down with only a quick minute to peruse it. I ended up taking more time than I had because the pictures were amazing. how has one person seen so many owls? How did he catch that woodpecker at just that moment?

The book is well worth it for the pictures alone, but the way that each species of owl and woodpecker is thoroughly described within the context of the forest it lives in will make this an often referenced book for anyone interested in birds.

Ornithology is a steadily advancing science and birdwatching a popular pastime. Showcasing stunningly beautiful full-color photography by Paul Bannick, "The Owl And The Woodpecker" will be of enormous interest to both academia and dedicated bird enthusiasts as he visually explores the diversity of these two families of birds and how they live withing and enrich the ecosystems they inhabit. The selected birds range from the Northern Flicker and the Great-Horned Owl, to the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, and the Northern Spotted Owl. Organized geographical to present birds in Pacific Coast urban and suburban habitats, northwestern maritime forests, western dry mountain forests, western oak woodlands, grasslands and shrub-steppe, southwestern dry lands, southeastern pine forests, eastern suburban and urban habitats, northeastern forests, boreal forest, and arctic tundra, "The Owl And The Woodpecker" is further enhanced with the inclusion of a 'Field Guide to North American owl and Woodpecker Species', a Bibliography, 'A Note About the Photography', an author biography, and an index, making it a very strongly recommended and popular addition to personal, academic, and community library Pets & Wildlife reference collections.

I recently purchased the book "The Owl and The Woodpecker: Encounters with North America's Most Iconic Birds". Although I generally never write reviews about even noteworthy books, I couldn't let this one escape without comment. The photography unquestionably provides some of the most stunning images of wildlife that I've yet to see. Examples include a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker following the flight of a wasp and a Snowy Owl in flight as she returns to her awaiting brood. Perhaps my favorite is the startled look of a fledgling Boreal Owl as it finds itself on the forest floor. The clarity and composition of each photograph attest to the author's incredible patience and attention to even the smallest detail.

After perusing the photos, I was finally able to turn my attention to the text. The introduction gives a glimpse into what has obviously been a life-long passion for the author. The following chapters provide unique facets of behavior and habitat on members of both families that is both specific and yet flows in a very readable format.

I can only imagine the hours of exhaustive research and patient waiting that must have gone in to capturing each subject in its natural environment. Paul Bannick gives each of his readers a very rare and personal glimpse at the natural behavior of these magnificent birds. No matter what your level of expertise, this book will not disappoint and comes with the highest of recommendations.