The Great Gray Owl – also known as the Phantom of the North, Great, Gray Ghost, and Bearded Owl – is one of the largest owl species and lives in the western mountains and boreal regions of North America.
Award-winning author and photographer Paul Bannick delves into the natural history of this owl species, including the latest research, providing readers with comprehensive yet accessible looks at their preferred habitat, hunting and feeding behavior, mating and nesting actions, owlets and fledglings, and more.
Bannick's unique and gorgeous owl images are enhanced by additional images of the owls' habitats and other species that share the Great Gray ecosystems. Throughout each narrative, his time in the field observing and photographing these enigmatic birds comes to life in evocative, experiential passages.
Paul Bannick is a wildlife photographer specializing in the natural history of North America with a focus on birds and habitat. Coupling his love of the outdoors with his skill as a photographer, he creates images that foster the intimacy between viewer and subject, inspiring education and conservation.
Paul's first book, The Owl and the Woodpecker, published by The Mountaineers Books in October of 2008, continues to be one of the best-selling bird books in North America, and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award for general non-fiction. Paul has appeared on dozens of NPR stations and programs including Travels with Rick Steves, and BirdNote. His work has appeared in Audubon, Sunset, Pacific Northwest, PhotoMedia, Seattle Times, the National Wildlife Federation Guide to North American Birds, Smithsonian's Guide to North American Birds, and in many other books, magazines, parks, refuges, and other outlets in North America and Europe.
Paul has served as a keynote speaker for dozens of festivals and fundraisers across the country, and two of his photos are part of the travelling exhibit, Arctic Wings, featuring images from several of the world's finest wildlife photographers.
After graduating from the University of Washington, Paul worked successfully for 15 years in the computer software industry beginning as one of the original 75 employees of the Aldus Corporation. He later served as a Director for Adobe Systems, and also worked as a senior manager at Microsoft. Wishing to combine his passion for wilderness conservation with his career, Paul turned his attention to non-profit work and currently serves as the Director of Development for Conservation Northwest, an organization dedicated to protecting and connecting wild areas from the Pacific Coast to the Canadian Rockies.