Hawks and Owls of Eastern North America

Hawks and Owls of Eastern North America. 2004. Donald S. Heintzelman. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey and London. Hardcover, 213 pages. The author has been active in raptor studies and conservation for 50 years. This is a real raptor book because it covers both hawks and owls. Most books called raptor guides cover only hawks and relatives in the order Falconiformes plus vultures and condors. This book interestingly does not cover vultures, which are usually grouped with hawks in most hawk guides. Chapters cover raptor ecology, hawk migrations, owl migration and invasions, raptor conservation, citizen sciences, raptor watching, Osprey and Northern Harrier, Kites, Eagles, Accipiters, Soaring Hawks, Caracaras and Falcons, Barn Owls and Typical Owls. The factual information in each species account is supported by a thorough study of the published literature. It includes habitat, distribution, food habits, nesting and life cycle, behaviour, migration, and population. These concise headings allow one to find information quickly. There are many high quality and well-chosen black-and-white and colour photographs by numerous photographers. This is an excellent source book for basic and accurate information on the hawks and owls in Eastern North America, including eastern Canada. I recommend this book to teachers, nature schools, and people interested in hawks and owls. Birders will find it a fine supplement to their field guides.

Reprinted from Wildlife Activist Number 48. Reveiw by Paul Hess. Hawks and Owls of Eastern North America by Donald S. Heintzelman. 2004. 203 pages. Hardbound. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ. $29.95. Recent publications about North American raptors have rarely covered well the wide middle-ground between specialized ornithological treatises and overly superficial introductions to the subject. This book by a distinguished raptor expert, author, and conservation leader spans the large gap successfully. The opening chapter provides an excellent introduction to raptor ecology, focusing primarily and appropriately on raptors' role as predators at the top of the food chain. Chapter two captures the drama of hawk migrations in spring and fall, explaining the landforms, weather conditions and other factors influencing where and when hawks migrate. Data are interpreted to illustrate patterns and trends in numbers at major migration routes throughout the eastern United States and Canada. These, it should be noted, are topics in which the author's vast knowledge has led to two of the foremost publications of their kind: A Guide to Hawk Watching in North America in 1979 and The Migrations of Hawks in 1986, both of which, incidentally, are worth seeking on the used book market. Chapter three describes the nearly invisible migratory movements by some owl species and the sometimes spectacular irruptions by others from the tundra and boreal forest of Canada far south into the United States. The emphasis given to raptor conservation in chapter four is particularly gratifying. Topics include infuriating and heartbreaking cases of raptor-killing, natural causes of raptor mortality, the many human-related threats, and-most importantly-an explanation of crucial raptor conservation and management efforts in the past, the present, and essential in the future for protection of many species. Chapters five and six deal with two strongly linked subjects: "citizen science," involving ways in which amateur ornithologists can help to collect data important in scientific study, and recreational raptor watching, which has exploded in recent decades to become one of the most popular aspects of ecotourism. Next come six chapters of species accounts for eastern North America's 22 regular breeding diurnal raptors, each described in terms of habitat, geographic distribution, food habits, nesting and life cycle, behavior, migration, and population. One small but interesting nugget worth special mention is a note on the oldest recorded age of each species, when known, which is a bit of information not otherwise easily obtainable for most people. Five western hawks that are accidental, with only one or a few records in the east, also receive at least a sentence or two about their out-of-range occurrences. The last two chapters cover 12 owl species in similar depth. This book is sufficiently nontechnical to appeal to the general reader, yet it offers an abundance of

In the 1960s, I lectured on hawks and owls for the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association. If this book had been available then, my talks would have been much better.Almost any question you can ask is answered in this book.The author is an excellent bird photographer. When he did not illustrate birds with his own photos, he had the good sense to use pictures by the likes of the legendary Ron Austing.My librarian wife is especially impressed by the comprehensive index.This book belongs in the library (or car) of every hawk watcher.