Review by Booklist Review
Owls are one of the groups of birds that almost anyone recognizes, and yet what do we really know about these nocturnal creatures? Nature writer Berger ( Dragonflies, 2004) has produced a wonderfully complete yet compact introduction to owls. The distinctive traits that differentiate owls from other birds, including soft feathers for silent flight, keen vision and sensitive hearing for nighttime hunting, and strong feet with talons for capturing prey, are examined in detail. Distribution, habitats, and migration fill a chapter on where owls live, with hunting, feeding, and daily routines explained in a chapter on how owls live. The yearly cycle is covered in the seasonal rhythm of owl behavior, which includes nesting and the rearing of young. A large portion of the book is devoted to an illustrated field guide to the 18 species of owls that breed in North America. Chapters on how to watch owls complete the text, and a list of resources, including Web sites, provides further information. Beautifully illustrated with color photos and paintings. --Nancy Bent Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.