Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers
Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers.
Paul Bannick, text and photography
“For the past several years, my research, lens and field work have been focused on better understanding and documenting the often mysterious lives of North American Woodpeckers.
Woodpeckers are the heart of North American forests in many ways. Their distinctive drumming sounds out a familiar rhythm, while their presence supports owls and a myriad other creatures. They have evolved in ways that make them ecologically critical to forest health, serving as keystone species in a variety of wooded habitats across the continent.
In this new book, I reveal the often secret lives of woodpeckers from Alaska’s boreal forests to the oak woodlands of the West and Midwest and from the ribbon Ponderosa Pine habitats that stretch from British Columbia through much of the Western states until they transition in southern Arizona to the Sierra Madre pine-oak that forms the spine of Mexico. I also exhaulted in the diversity in arid ecosystems straddling the US-Mexico border and the wet tropical habitats from Florida through the Caribbean Islands and southeastern Mexico.
Through my first-hand experiences, more than 200 never-before published photographs, and the latest science, I explore woodpeckers in every season: their courtship and nest selection in spring; life in the nest during summer; fledging and gaining independence in autumn; and the challenges of surviving the winter.
I also take a closer look at the most important woodpecker habitats in North American and what we can do to protect them.
Finally, you will find a field guide for all 41 species found in North America, featured taxonomically and illustrated with photos that highlight the differences between closely related species.”
-Paul Bannick
Reviews
“Wholly absorbing—a sure-fire way to turn even a casual birder into a woodpecker fanatic.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Paul Bannick’s camera work is so revelatory that Woodpecker is like sight for the blind. Never has this keystone species been portrayed so intimately. His prose explains that the extraordinary hammering that seems like tree vandalism is actually the work of forest doctors, as vital as they are beautiful. A lovely, informative book.” -William Dietrich, author of The Final Forest and Pulitzer Prize winning writer
“No other author/photographer has come close to creating a book like this. Bannick’s photos are breathtaking, his prose elegant, his knowledge of woodpeckers encyclopedic. If you love birds, read it. Then keep it handy because it has a second function as a field guide.” -Ted Williams, wildlife writer and former Editor of Audubon magazine
“Paul Bannick’s work captures more than just the beauty of the natural world—it captures its soul. I had the privilege of collaborating with Paul on his 2008 book The Owl and the Woodpecker, providing the accompanying sounds. Since then, he’s become one of the world’s foremost wildlife photographers, and his new book A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers is yet another masterpiece. His imagery doesn’t just show us birds—it connects us to them. Truly remarkable.”
-Martyn Stewart Co-founder of The Listening Planet
Acorn Woodpecker, photo: Paul Bannick.
Red-headed Woodecker, photo: Paul Bannick.
Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker, photo: Paul Bannick.