The Owl Papers

by Jonathan Evan Maslow

Mr. Maslow explores the history and ecology of an often misunderstood bird. He sloshed through the New Jersey Meadowlands in the hope of flushing an endangered short-eared owl.

Genres: Birds, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals

183 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 1983

About the author

Jonathan Maslow was a journalist and naturalist whose travels took him from the rain forests of Central America to the steppes of Central Asia. (NY Times)

Reviews

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great look at the different kinda owls, and their behavior, mating and over all owl facts that one would not normally know

[Wuenschel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was an easy read and a light overview of the broad subject of owls. The author seemed to over-zealously praise the order. Perhaps to make it more interesting, he cited various biological adaptations of owls in a manner which made them seem unique to owls, which I know were adaptations common to raptors. The writing seemed overdone to my taste.

[Peter Szabo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book, and not simply because I love owls! Many, perhaps most, books on a single species aimed at a popular audience can fall flat, either because they offer too much information, or too little, or because they offer too much enthusiasm, or too little... Maslow strikes just the right balance. And his book is very well written.

[Cat Rennolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of a summer spent in search of owls. The author is charming in his love for his subject, and his language is descriptive to a fault. This is a thorough introduction to the lives and legends of owls.
If you are a naturalist yourself, in love with owls or the New England coast, or in school for the sciences, this book is well worth your time. If you are looking for light summer reading, I'd recommend a chapter at a time, as I found it a bit dense and slow going. I'm glad to have spent the time but not something I'll read again for amusement.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming book about four seasons in the life of an "owler." The author concentrated on three or four species of owls--the Great Horned, the Sawwhet, the Short-eared, and the Long-eared--but mentioned others. I always thought that the owl was a symbol of wisdom and had no idea, until I read this book, that it had once been thought a symbol of evil. I didn't know that the Sawhet was also called the Mighty Adorable but think it's a great nickname. A sawhet is adorable, much like a little kitten. I read this for my bird club book club.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

p.143
They are the victims only of the relentless efficiency with which we produce and consume things. The common denominator in the case of nearly every bird species in decline is the loss of habitat. Economic growth has become falsely synonymous with the consumption of plains, forests, coasts, and marshes; with the systematic simplification of the environment - the transformation of large, diverse areas into smaller, more homogeneous ones.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant book concentrating on owl encounters in and around the author's home base in New York.

Nice inclusion of some international owl folklore and mythology.

One chapter is a frightening description of the "New Jersey Meadowlands", a former short-eared owl haven now choked with chemical waste, scrap metal, and corpse piles. Unfortunately, the description of this wasteland is the most evocative portion of the book.

The raccoon and skunk troubles and boating adventures on Martha's Vineyard were interesting.

It's that sort of dreamy, stylized nature writing that calls your attention to certain details outside, and your thankful for it.

[Cindy Jacobsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as book 2 of the 2017 reading challenge in the category of "a book bought on a trip". Jonathan Maslow beautifully writes about owls over the course of seasons and weaves his observations with the history of owls and humanity. Although the book was written in the 80s, his observations feel current, especially the observations about human destruction of natural habitats.