The spectacular photos of falcons in this small (6 x 9), reasonably priced book, are worth its price alone. The 200+ photos, including many dramatic flight shots, are primarily by Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop, and simply some of the most spectacular - and unusual - hawk photos I have ever seen. The photos are beautifully printed in good size on glossy stock. As someone who has purchased many "coffee table" books with raptor photographs, Falcons of North America sets a new standard for raptor photography and reproduction.
When I started reading Falcons, I found the prose equal -- or superior -- to the photography. That might seem outlandish when you first see the photos, but once you start reading, you'll understand what I mean. This book is a gem, finely cut and beautifully polished. Well organized, written with elegance, concision, clarity and contagious enthusiasm, it is among the most insightful and informative books on raptors for the lay reader I've seen.
It is not a field guide, but a brief introduction. Kate Davis, a falconer who runs a raptor rehab and education center in Missoula, Montana, devotes the first 150 pages to describing falcons in general, focusing on morphology and physiology, behavior and feeding, nesting and breeding, and movements, and three chapters on falcons and people, including threats and conservation status. She then devotes 8 pages each (half of which are photographs) to an overview of our six falcon species.
The six topical chapters are beautifully crafted and illustrated, incorporating timely new data from the recent technical literature. Everything is written clearly and simply for the lay reader, yet packed with insight. Davis also provides illuminating "sidebars" on such topics as "Peregrines Catching Salmonflies," and simple but elegant, informative line drawings. The species accounts include large range maps based on Brian Wheeler's 2007 volumes.
If you are at all interested in hawks, I encourage you to buy this book. I don't think you'll regret it.
Falcons of North America