The Pygmy-Owls of Forest Park - by John Deshler (Paperback)

About the Book

Experience an up-close view into the world of three neighboring pairs of wild Northern Pygmy-Owls as they struggle to raise owlets and survive confrontations with predators, humanity, the forces of nature, and one another.

Book Synopsis

Experience the intimate world of three neighboring pairs of wild Northern Pygmy-Owls. Every owl's fidelity, devotion to offspring, and tenacity are tested as they confront predators, the forces of nature, and one another. Seldom-seen patterns of pygmy-owl behavior and ecology are shown through the owls' natural actions, calls, and songs. The story also explores the wild owls' interactions with humanity, including the author, whose own life story is intertwined with theirs. The fate of each of the owls, their ecology, their voices, and their timeless rivalries are ultimately revealed.

At dawn on a damp, May morning, Salazar ascends to a sprig atop a towering Doug fir and sings into the open sky above the mile-wide ribbon of treed foothills that is Forest Park. Salazar is a pygmy-owl, a feisty two-ounce raptor who has controlled the Saltzman Creek watershed for years. He needs the entirety of it for himself, Salina, and their tiny owlets, if they are going to make it. Nearby, Mandeep sits atop a grand fir and sings back toward Salazar, desperately trying to lure a prospecting female-or Salina-over to his Maple Creek territory. Half a mile to the southeast, Robel is clutching a deer mouse in his talons and calling softly to Rochelle. Her fifth and sixth eggs hatched this morning and she is reluctant to leave the nest. A spring day brightens upon an implacable conflict and a milestone of nest success for the pygmy-owls of Forest Park....

The Pygmy-Owls of Forest Park is a book that straddles the line between nonfiction and fiction and is perhaps best categorized as "creative nonfiction".

Review Quotes

"I have loved every minute of this narrative. All I can sense whilst reading it is the meticulous care used to portray these characters-the owls-honestly. The manuscript is accessible, well-paced, and emotionally gripping." - Michelle Martire, Finicky Muse

"Delightful! ... Crammed with interesting facts about the ecology and behavior of these diminutive owls, yet presented as an absorbing tale of the lives of three pairs, their offspring, and Deshler, himself. Highly recommend!" - W. Gross, verified purchaser

"I love learning about science and nature through accessible, gripping storylines. The Pygmy-Owls of Forest Park was a perfect example of how to do it right. Deshler's precise and prosaic descriptions of Forest Park, the owls that he tracked, and how his own life intertwined with his subject was fascinating. It reminds me of one of favorite science-based books, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I enthusiastically recommend this book!"

- Becky C. verified purchaser

A "STANDOUT SUMMER BOOK!" of 2025, as selected by librarians at the Multnomah County Library, Portland, Oregon.