The Screech Owl Companion - by Jim Wright & Scott Weston (Paperback)

About the Book

"Owls are some of the most beneficial and enjoyable wildlife we can spot near our homes-screech owls specifically are one of the only species that can and do nest successfully near humans, notably in suburbs and city parks. As traditional screech owl habitats are lost to development, providing new housing for these owls is increasingly vital, and this first-of-its-kind, complete guide will show all nature lovers how to build/buy and site nest boxes, install unobtrusive nest cams for fascinating looks at the habitants and their eventual owlets, and to make yards more nature-friendly by using native plants, keeping pets and squirrels at a distance, and even when to avoid pruning so as not to disrupt the birds at their most vulnerable. Also includes tips on photographing the owls that will come to feel like part of your family"--

Book Synopsis

This must-read for birders features a complete guide to attracting, understanding, and protecting owls.

The call of an owl evokes mystery; seeing one in the wild inspires wonder. Of the top ten birds people hope to see, three are owls. Although they may be out of sight, owls are widespread throughout North America--and screech owls are the most likely to make their homes near humans. In this book, experts Jim Wright and Scott Weston show you how to attract them to nest in your yard, year after year.

The Screech Owl Companion introduces screech owls, show how to distinguish them from other species, shares fun lore and legend, and provides step-by-step instructions for making your yard screech ready. You'll learn how to build a nest box and install a simple nest cam that you can monitor from your cell phone to watch when owls move in, lay eggs, and hatch.

Review Quotes

"Wright's book is comprehensive, describing the literature and lore of owls, listing the different species we may encounter in the Eastern U.S. and providing strategies for owl-friendly yards and inventive designs for nest boxes designed to keep the most insistent squirrel out." --The Examiner News

"The Screech Owl Companion is incredibly comprehensive, and I enjoyed all the great photos throughout."

--Rebecca Minardi, Book and Media Reviews Editor, Birding Magazine

"[The Screech Owl Companion] really grabbed my attention... Impressive."--Cliff Shackelford, The Red River Radio Bird Calls (NPR)

"For screech-owl aficionados, The Screech Owl Companion will be consulted for years to come."--Carl Safina, Birding Magazine

"Packed with everything you wanted to know about screech owls and even has plans to build your own box." --Newbury Port Daily News

"A well-illustrated overview of Eastern and Western Screech-Owls."--Bird Booker Report

"Jim Wright describes screech owls as the most amazing creatures you'll seldom see. But after reading this book, you will know a lot more about them and wish you had one living near you. The surprising thing is that you probably do. If you have any interest in owls--and who doesn't--this is a book you'll want to own. The Screech Owl Companion is filled with useful information and wonderful pictures. If you're interested in owls of any kind, especially screech owls, this is a must have book. It is well-researched, well-written, and filled with useful information."

--Robert M. Peck, Senior Fellow, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

"Full of beautiful photos and illustrations and tips from the owl hosts, with sidebars featuring owl-oriented quotations and other books about owls, this gem of a manual will satisfy all levels of owl lovers."--Booklist

"An armchair naturalist will find this book filled with interesting facts and folklore about this feathered denizen of backyard and nearby woodland edge. For a closer acquaintance with the screech owl, Wright and Weston provide detailed instructions on installing owl boxes, their construction and placement, and the installation of a nest cam. And they give important tips (and cautions) for photographing owls."
--Dorcas MacClintock, author of Animals Observed: A Look at Animals in Art

"Astounding, thorough, wide-ranging, and well done, this book will take you into the world of the beloved Screech Owl. It delivers everything you could want or need to welcome these appealing, diminutive, feathery, fierce creatures as your neighbors."
--Lillian Stokes, coauthor of The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America

"Everyone who wants to put up a screech owl box or has a screech owl box should own this book (not just read it once since you will use it again and again). It is a how-to guide and a reference manual that covers everything you could ever want to know from biology to nest box designs to camera technology and much, much more."
--Karla Bloem, Executive Director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota

About the Author

Jim Wright is the author of several books about nature, a prize-winning journalist, and the birding columnist for The Record, Northern New Jersey's leading newspaper. He has hosted screech owls in his backyard nest box since 2004 and observed them via a nest cam for more than a decade. He leads a campaign to ban the rat poisons that kill owls and other wildlife. He lives in Allendale, New Jersey, where he is a marsh warden.