A world champion carver of raptors (as well as a master falconer), serves as your coach for carving your own fabulous birds. Greg Woodard shows how to create models that are painted, partially-painted, or all-natural. Sequenced photos illustrate every technique of every project. Where to start? How about a Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Owl, or Red-Tailed Hawk. An expert's tips take you through the delicate steps of inserting eyes and the details of lifelike feathering. A gallery of Woodward's own champion carvings lets you see prizes like "Cactus Flower," a preening American kestrel on a cactus, and "Hunting the Adobe," his natural wood sculpture of a prairie falcon chasing several swallows across a cliff colony.

Featured in this issue: 10 tips for realistic birds of prey Carving classic bookends Wood engraving Ozark Caricature Creating Natural Habitat Painting your chip carvings

Raptors have intrigued and inspired artists and naturalists for thousands of years. Floyd Scholz's own fascination with these winged hunters began when he took up bird carving in the 1970's, but he was long frustrated by the lack of close up, detailed reference photographs of these birds. He decided to team up with photographer Tad Merrick to fill that void.