This must-read for birders features a complete guide to attracting, understanding, and protecting owls. The call of an owl evokes mystery; seeing one in the wild inspires wonder. Of the top ten birds people hope to see, three are owls. Although they may be out of sight, owls are widespread throughout North America—and screech owls are the most likely to make their homes near humans. In this book, experts Jim Wright and Scott Weston show you how to attract them to nest in your yard, year after year. The Screech Owl Companion introduces screech owls, show how to distinguish them from other species, shares fun lore and legend, and provides step-by-step instructions for making your yard screech ready. You’ll learn how to build a nest box and install a simple nest cam that you can monitor from your cell phone to watch when owls move in, lay eggs, and hatch.

The eastern screech owl, widespread over the eastern half of North America and noticeably tolerant of human activity, is one of America's most familiar birds. Residing naturally in wooded environs with tree cavities, this owl lives well in suburbia and can be found nesting in mailboxes, porch columns, and purple martin houses. Based on a twenty-five-year study, biologist Frederick R. Gehlbach tells the life story of the eastern screech owl, focusing on case studies of suburban and rural study plots in Central Texas. This is the first thorough study of major life-history, behavioral, and ecological features of the species. Indeed, it is the first concurrent, comparative study of an urban and a rural population of any New World animal. Told in a personal voice, the story of these birds will interest all who have not lost touch with their ancestral world. However, Gehlbach has also included quantitative data and analysis of interest to ecologists, wildlife biologists, and ornithologists. Photographs (including color shots of the gray and rufous phases), figures, and tables provide further detail. Gehlbach's investigations have been those of not only an academic ecologist, but a suburbanite curious about his natural surroundings. The result is a model of research on species population dynamics and adaptation, yielding an emerging picture of what the eastern screech owl needs for successful coexistence with human neighbors.

An illustrated biography of the ornithologist James Bond, the author of the book Birds of the West Indies and the namesake of Ian Fleming's fictional British spy.

The author reflects on his fifteen-year relationship with a tawny owl, an unlikely companionship marked by their incredulous neighbors, books, and unique care challenges.

How do owls see in the dark? Can owls spin their heads all the way around? Why do owls puke? These and other questions are answered by an owl expert, along with some extra information provided by the owls themselves!

"More than 75,000 people come to Hawk Mountain each year to experience its majesty, particularly on the mountain's breathtaking North Lookout. That wonderment is captured here in a book that combines new reporting with classic descriptions and a treasury of photographs of the winged visitors that soar by this place in huge numbers. Based on two years of research and reporting, Hawk Mountain describes the wonders of raptors and their migration, showcases the site throughout the year, and offers chapters from celebrated books from the mountain's past, including Hawks Aloft, by the sanctuary's first curator, Maurice Broun. Hawk Mountain also features two illustrations by the noted nature artist Fred Wetzel, who has been associated with the sanctuary for more than 50 years." --Excerpted from book jacket.

On June 7, 1989, Jim Wright became the first Speaker of the House in American history to resign because of scandal. An ethics investigation orchestrated by then up-and-coming Representative Newt Gingrich brought about the ouster of a man who had entered Congress in 1954. Wright now presents an eloquent, inside account of 35 years of Washington power politics. 8 pp photo insert.