Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers

“An ideal gift to enthuse birders all year long at home or at work.”

Birding Wire, full review here

“Bannick’s new book, “Woodpecker,” is an oversized visual showcase that qualifies as a handsome coffee table book, yet the substantial accompanying text contains valuable information that is steeped in insights gleaned from years of forest- and fieldwork from Alaska through Central America and the Caribbean.”

Discover Our Coast, full review here

“Paul’s program was an absolute knockout. We had over 500 registrants, easily the highest turnout for any of our Zoom programs. His stunning photos and wonderful narrative greatly pleased our viewers, as evidenced by the many wonderful comments we received. We’ll definitely be hosting more of his programs.”

William Dietrich, author of The Final Forest and Pulitzer Prize winning writer

“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

“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

“Illustrated with a wealth of magnificent photographs and an informative but also entertaining text, Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers is a must have for all woodpecker devotees, both professional and amateur.“

Gerard Gorman, Author of “Woodpeckers of the World”  Read Bio

“An ideal gift for bird lovers, this book explores the natural and cultural history of woodpeckers across landscapes from the boreal forest northern Canada to the forests of Mexico and the Caribbean. Written and photographed by Paul Bannick, ’86, it’s an excellent pick for wildlife enthusiasts and fans of nature photography.“

University of Washington Alumni Magazine, Read full article

“[Woodpecker] is lushly illustrated with dozens of photos taken by Mr. Bannick. Meanwhile, the text elevates the fascinating story of woodpeckers to its rightful place at the center of any conversation – or any deep thinking – about how humans and wildlife share the earth.“

Feliks Banel, Cascade of History

A complement to the “Birds of the World” life histories accounts and a valuable resource.

This latest book by Paul Bannick is the result of tens of thousands of hours of field observations spanning the North American continent.  The numerous photos are of National Geographic quality and make this book coffee table worthy.  But it is the personal field observations documented by the photos that make this book stand out and complement the Cornell “Birds of the World” life histories accounts.

Jamie Acker, Instructor, Master Birder and Bird Bander

This is a natural-history book, my favorite kind when it comes to any group of organisms. We have plenty of field guides, but once I have identified an animal or plant, I want to know much more about it. Paul lets us in on the life of woodpeckers—where they live, how they interact, what they eat, and how they bring up their families. I especially like the section on anatomical features, which after all are what make woodpeckers the special group they are. Read this first! I also like the author’s expansion of North America beyond that used in most bird books to include Mexico and the West Indies, each with their own resident woodpeckers The book is profusely illustrated with Paul Bannick’s fine photos, many of them showing the behavior that he describes so eloquently in the text. The multitude of photos in flight enhance this greatly. With two North American woodpeckers already extinct, the book is of value in emphasizing their habitats and how they must be preserved if we want all the remaining species to flourish. The section on ponderosa pines really brings this into focus. Finally, his field guide section is superlative, with so much of what you would want to know about each species. This is the book for all who admire woodpeckers, and doesn’t that include all of us?

Dennis Paulson,Former Director of the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound, and author of many books and scientific papers.