A world champion carver of raptors (as well as a master falconer), serves as your coach for carving your own fabulous birds. Greg Woodard shows how to create models that are painted, partially-painted, or all-natural. Sequenced photos illustrate every technique of every project. Where to start? How about a Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Owl, or Red-Tailed Hawk. An expert's tips take you through the delicate steps of inserting eyes and the details of lifelike feathering. A gallery of Woodward's own champion carvings lets you see prizes like "Cactus Flower," a preening American kestrel on a cactus, and "Hunting the Adobe," his natural wood sculpture of a prairie falcon chasing several swallows across a cliff colony.

Featured in this issue: 10 tips for realistic birds of prey Carving classic bookends Wood engraving Ozark Caricature Creating Natural Habitat Painting your chip carvings

Raptors have intrigued and inspired artists and naturalists for thousands of years. Floyd Scholz's own fascination with these winged hunters began when he took up bird carving in the 1970's, but he was long frustrated by the lack of close up, detailed reference photographs of these birds. He decided to team up with photographer Tad Merrick to fill that void.

Observing birds often raises many intriguing questions. Such as what is the incubation time for those robin eggs sitting in the nest above the porch light? What kinds of flowers attract humming birds? What are the migratory distances of various species? What are the major causes of bird deaths? The Bird Almanac is an invaluable resource, impressive in scope and depth and complemented with tables and illustrations. This Second Edition has been reformatted for easier use and now features quick-find tabs and an index. The first section of the book comprehensively covers the history, biology and behavior of birds. Bird physiology, biological systems and anatomy are explained in easy-to-understand terms and annotated illustrations. Other topics include: Fossil history of birds Reproduction and mortality Threatened and endangered species Major birding festivals and competitions How to attract specific species to the backyard Extensive resources for bird-lovers including the top birding locations in America Birding code of ethics The second section consists of an authoritative world checklist of bird species. The birds are organized by taxonomic order and listed by common and Latin name. The valuable information in The Bird Almanac fills in the gaps in knowledge of even the most seasoned birder.

Full-color photos and detailed text illustrate every part of the process, from roughing out to painting.