With their striking looks, keen vision, and hunting prowess, the birds of prey – eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls – have long captured the human imagination. Now this collection of some of the most remarkable and action-packed raptor photographs ever taken, can inspire your own imagination to take flight. This book, the latest collaboration by award- winning photographers Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop and author/photographer Kate Davis, is a glorious photographic ode to the forty-four birds of prey that roam the skies of the American West.
Instead of grouping the birds by type – owls with owls, hawks with hawks – the book has chapters arranged by the habitat type and region where each bird spends the breeding season. Whether you're enjoying these pages from the comfort of your own armchair or taking a trip to the field you can see which birds to look for in that area – Swainson's Hawks soar over grasslands next to Prairie Falcons while Cooper's Hawks share mature forests with Flammulated Owls. While the 400-plus stunning color photographs are enough to set this book apart on their own, Davis's informative and entertaining text completes the picture.
Author, educator, and artist Kate Davis is the founder and executive director of Raptors of the Rockies, appearing with her birds in dozens of educational programs every year at schools and public events. Her previous books include Falcons of North America and Raptors of the Rockies.
Rob Palmer has conducted field research on Prairie Falcons, taught life science and biology, and is now a fulltime photographer. His images have won multiple awards and appeared in numerous national publications; his books include The World of the American Kestrel and Prairie Owl. Although he spends much of his time on the road, Rob calls Boulder, Colorado, home.
A self-described full-time falcon fanatic, award-winning photographer Nick Dunlop has loved birds of prey and photography since high school. He regularly publishes photos, with merlins, peregrines, and golden eagles being his favorite subjects. He is a full-time real estate appraiser living in Sebastopol, California.
"To gaze into the deep brown eyes of a falcon is to see one's own being reflected in the life of another creature. The images in this collection will excite your imagination, edify you, and hold you enraptured as you view our western raptors in their natural landscapes."
- Tom Cade, Founder of the Peregrine Fund and author of The Falcons of the World.