Owls of the Eastern Ice

Bookseller recommendation

“This was just the kind of escape I needed: an epic adventure in a wild place and conservation story wrapped up in a skillfully crafted narrative. Jonathon Slaght engagingly tells the story of his PhD research project, tracking the Blakiston's Fish Owl in the wild reaches of eastern Russia. The world's largest owl, fish owls are super elusive, feeding on salmon in remote Russia, sharing its habitat with Amur tigers and humans trying to get by in extremely harsh circumstances. The owls haunt the pages, mostly unseen as Slaght and his team track them on snowmobile trips over treacherous ice and terrain. Encounters with the locals along the way add another layer to this conservation story. This is a go-to for birders, conservationists, and nature writing fans.”

— Rachel • Brilliant Books Audio

Bookseller recommendation

“Ever wonder what it’s actually like on these months-long trips into the field to study wildlife? This fascinating study of the largest owls in the world will take you out over oceans and deep into the taiga of far eastern Siberia. My wanderlust has been officially stoked.”

— Jeremy • Tattered Cover

Bookseller recommendation

“This is an incredible story. Fifteen years ago, the scientific community knew zilch about fish owls. Today we know a whole lot more because of a Minnesota graduate student who wanted to know more. This is a road to discovery story—and that the discovery has led to real-world conservation initiatives, makes it even better.”

— Julie • Honest Dog Books