The Great Horned Owl: An In-depth Study

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.

The only time I have seen a Great Horned Owl has been in a zoo. For some reason, why seeing hawks and bats in my city neighborhood is pretty common; I haven’t seen an owl. I have no doubt that they are there; they must be. I live near a park and near a historical cemetery called The Woodlands (and there is a reason why it is called that). I’m also not much of a birder. I see various birds in my backyard, and go pretty! Then run inside, find an old bird book and try to figure out what I saw. I’m not really the ideal audience for this book in many ways.
I love birds that eat things, however. There is something beautiful about watching a marsh hawk eat a squirrel or a Harris’ hawk eat a pigeon. So I figured, since I am auto-approved I might as well give this book a try.
Rashid’s book about Great Horned Owls is ideal for a beginner or a child. The book covers everything from body structure, eating habits, mating, predators, and recovery. While technique terms are used, they are explained (and done so in such a way that the reader does not feel stupid) and there is a glossary and source listing at the end. The book progresses from anatomy to rehabilitation, so each chapter builds upon the previous. There is even a whole chapter about owl vocalization, which was actually quite interesting as is the chapter about nesting. Rashid also not only mentions his own sightings of the owls, but also historical sources from older studies. It makes for vivid reading.

Hands down, however, the best part of the book is the pictures. The photographs of Horned Owls are worthy of their own book because some of them are absolutely breath taking. There is a picture of horned owls nesting near (basically the same tree) as herons. There awesome shots were you can play find the owl. Cute shots of owlets.
The photos are worth the price of the book.

This is a lovely book that gives a brilliant insight in to the life and world of The Great Horned Owl. This species is a lovely bird and I learnt a lot from this book. Its easy to read and follow and you will feel an expert yourself after reading it. Some lovely photos inside too - very highly recommended