Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 Who's in love here? August 14, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
There's a lot of love poured out in this book. It flows freely from the New York City hawk watchers, of whom the author is one, for the red-tailed hawks of the title and the myriad bird life in and around Central Park. The story turns around the mating attempts, failures, and successes of a male red-tail hawk, called Pale Male for his light plumage. A common enough nature story, perhaps; except this hawk courts, mates, hunts, and raises young in Manhattan in full binocular-enhanced view of a band of dedicated hawk watchers and, eventually, international media.
If you want a scientific discourse on hawks and their mating habits or the skinny on avian romance from the birds' point of view, don't look for it here. Only as much ornithology is offered as needed to understand why the human participants in the story react to events as they do. The birds are not artificially thrust into the narrator's role; their separateness from our species is not negated by the author's imagination. I respect the author's decision; it fits well with my preference that animals be respected for what they are; not for how they are similar to us, how they entertain us, or how they are useful to us. This decision does mean that readers, like the hawk watchers, can only observe the wildlife drama of the book's subtitle from a distance.
What this rather charming book offers close up is the tale of the watchers themselves, their love of birds, and the informal community that coalesces around their nesting season hawk nest stake-outs. The reader is drawn to these people who love birds and are willing to sacrifice comfort (like warm beds on cold mornings), endure tedium (to watch and wait for signs of hatching), and sometimes put aside their "real" lives (even to the extent of postponing job hunting) to feed their love.
Wanted More Hawk & Less Birder Content March 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
For me the book was so-so. There seemed to me to be more energy spent on which birders were standing where, when, and saying which anthromopomorphic statements than there was content on the subject of the book, hawks in/near Central Park. The story of the hawks was intriquing but I didn't feel like I really got a cohesive story about them, it was frequently interupted by the other concerns of the book (Hawkwatchers, Earlybirds, 'Moth'ers, Duckers, Butterflyers, Dragon/Damselflyers...)
 Fun read! March 10, 2008
I bought this book for my husband, then I read it in one day while stuck at the airport. It was a compelling read, good story and interesting information. We live in New York and go to Central Park often, so this made it even more interesting... I am keeping my eyes open for what birds are in the parks near my house. A well written book, I would recommend it.
book review January 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Although the book is written in a kind of factual style (e.g. On this day we saw this and this happened. A week later this happened...), I have enjoyed reading it. If you are an animal lover,especially of the bird kind, it is a heartwarming story of a real hawk trying to live and make it in Central Park. That is amazing in itself.
Some people may get a little bogged down in the recounting of the daily activities of the bird watchers who meet in the park. But if you love birds, it is worth it to wade through that. I would buy the book again.
 wonderful story February 11, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I live in Portland Oregon, and have large populations of birds in my back yard, so this was a fun read. Perhaps i will visit NYC someday, and i will bring my glasses! What a nice book!
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