[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Company
Formats: Papberback
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble[/alert]
What a beautiful book! You don’t have to be a bird watcher to appreciate the stunning photography in this publication, or the Killy Hawk’s (Kestrel’s) remarkable charm in the wild. If you are ‘into birds’ then you know that “Among the ranks of North American raptors, American Kestrels hold the top honor as most endearing,” says the author, Kate Davis. In both prose and a hundred superb illustrations, we learn a great deal about this amazing little bird.
Among the falcons, the American Kestrel is the smallest (about robin size). It is remarkably colored with vivid rufous and blue-gray plumage dashed with black and white. Despite its small size, the Kestrel is a skilled and savvy hunter with a wide variety of small prey. Those who have marveled at Kestrel hunting prowess know how it hovers in one place by flapping or flicking its wingtips or how it ‘kites’ into a strong wind by twitching its wingtips.
The book covers hunting behaviors and more, including the Kestrel life cycle, natural history, and challenges to its survival in the 21st century. As attractive as it is, American Kestrel is more than a coffee-table book. It’s an attention-grabbing, conversation-making good read.
[signoff predefined=”Social Media Reminder” icon=”twitter”][/signoff]