The Hawk’s Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty

Award-winning naturalist Montgomery (The Hummingbirds’ Gift) honors the hawk and other birds of prey in this engrossing work. Already intrigued by predatory birds, Montgomery’s interest increased after encountering a feisty Harris’s hawk during an introductory course of the New Hampshire School of Falconry. She continued to work with the hawk at the school and eventually became a falconry apprentice. Montgomery provides a wealth of information despite the concise size of this book. She describes hawk behavior and how humans should act (and not act) around them to ensure their mutual safety. She emphasizes that birds of prey are wild, much more so than what people typically experience in their relationships with mammals. She describes in detail one of the most important parts of hawk anatomy: their extraordinary eyes. She also goes over the language of falconry, including unique terms such as imping, jonking, and feaking. Moreover, the book contains outstanding images by nature photographer Tianne Strombeck. This title delivers as a celebration of the wildness and wonder of birds and as an inspiration to learn from other creatures and be more compassionate.