Paul Bannick Photography

Paul Bannick is an award-winning wildlife author and photographer specializing in the natural history of North America with a focus on birds and habitat. Coupling his love of the outdoors with his skill as a photographer, he creates images that foster the intimacy between viewer and subject, inspiring education and conservation. Paul is both the author and photographer of four books, Owl: A Year i

n the Lives of North American Owls (Braided River) and The Owl and The Woodpecker, Encounters with North America’s Most Iconic Birds (Mountaineers). His first book, The Owl and the Woodpecker, published in October of 2008, continues to be one of the best-selling bird books in North America. The University of Washington’s Burke Museum created a traveling exhibit based on The Owl and the Woodpecker, which began touring North American cities in March of 2011. Paul's latest books, "Snowy Owl: A Visual Natural History" and Great Gray Owl: A Visual Natural History" were published in September of 2020

Bannick’s work has won awards from several prestigious photography contests, including those hosted by Audubon Magazine and the International Conservation Photography Awards. Paul’s photography can be found prominently in bird guides from Audubon, Peterson, The Smithsonian, Stokes, The National Wildlife Federation, and in several volumes of the Handbook of the Birds of the world. His work has been featured in a variety of publications from The New York Times, Audubon, Sunset, Nature’s Best Photography Magazine, Birds and Blooms, Ranger Rick, Pacific Northwest (two cover stories), Seattle Times, Alaska Air Magazine, and in many other books, magazines, parks, refuges, and other outlets in North America and Europe. He has appeared on NBC Nightly News, Evening Magazine, King 5 and on dozens of NPR stations and programs, including Travels with Rick Steves and BirdNote.

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)You can tell what an owl can capture by looking at the spread of its talons.  Great Grays...
09/03/2026

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)
You can tell what an owl can capture by looking at the spread of its talons. Great Grays eat mostly voles and gophers and would be incapable of subduing larger animals such as skunks, marmots or pets.
You can learn more about the hunting strategies of North American Owls in the award-winning book, “Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls”.

Woodpecker Wednesday (Red-naped Sapsucker)A male Red-naped Sapsucker looks up towards his nest.  Until 1983, the Red-nap...
09/02/2026

Woodpecker Wednesday (Red-naped Sapsucker)
A male Red-naped Sapsucker looks up towards his nest. Until 1983, the Red-naped, Red-breasted and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were all considered as one species (Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers). You can distinguish adult Red-naped from the other two species by the red patch on the nape (back of the neck) and the male from the female by his completely red throat.
You can learn more about the 41 woodpeckers from the Arctic to the Caribbean including all FOUR sapsuckers in the award-winning book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”.

Cuban Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium siju)The Cuban Pygmy-Owl lives only in Cuba where it nests in the cavities created by woodpe...
08/27/2026

Cuban Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium siju)
The Cuban Pygmy-Owl lives only in Cuba where it nests in the cavities created by woodpeckers. As with other Pygmy-Owls is often seen in the early mornings and late afternoons.
To learn more about the species of woodpeckers that create homes for this species and other cavity nesters see the award-winning book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”.

Woodpecker Wednesday (Lineated Woodpecker)The Pileated (Canada and the US) Lineated (Mexico and northern South America),...
08/26/2026

Woodpecker Wednesday (Lineated Woodpecker)
The Pileated (Canada and the US) Lineated (Mexico and northern South America), Black-bodied (southern South America) White-bellied (southern Asia) and Black Woodpeckers (Europe and northern Asia) all belong to the genus Dryocopus. Each fills a similar ecological role as apex forest excavators creating homes for dozens of species of cavity nesting animals.
You can learn more about the similarities and differences between the woodpeckers from the Arctic to the Caribbean in the award-winning book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”

Woodpecker Wednesday (Lineated Woodpecker)The Pileated (Canada and the US) Lineated (Mexico and northern South America),...
08/26/2026

Woodpecker Wednesday (Lineated Woodpecker)
The Pileated (Canada and the US) Lineated (Mexico and northern South America), Black-bodied (southern South America) White-bellied (southern Asia) and Black Woodpeckers (Europe and northern Asia) all belong to the genus Dryocopus. Each fills a similar ecological role as apex forest excavators creating homes for dozens of species of cavity nesting animals.
You can learn more about the similarities and differences between the woodpeckers from the Arctic to the Caribbean in the award-winning book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)The Arctic Owl breeds only on the treeless arctic tundra. They prefer elevated sites near wat...
08/20/2026

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
The Arctic Owl breeds only on the treeless arctic tundra. They prefer elevated sites near water with large supplies of their preferred lemming food. While we do not know how many might migrate into southern Canada and the northern United States this year, it will depend upon whether their recently completed nesting was successful.

You can learn more about the life history of North American Owls in the books, “Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls” and "Snowy Owl: A Visual Natural History".

Woodpecker Wednesday: Displays (Cuban Green Woodpecker pictured here)Woodpecker courtship and territorial behaviors are ...
08/19/2026

Woodpecker Wednesday: Displays (Cuban Green Woodpecker pictured here)
Woodpecker courtship and territorial behaviors are virtually identical and involve the display of prominent colors through raising feathers and swaying, bobbing or flying.
You can learn more about these behaviors in the award-winning book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”.

Color Variants: Northern Pygmy-OwlMany species of birds including Hairy Woodpeckers and Northern Pygmy-Owls tend to spor...
08/13/2026

Color Variants: Northern Pygmy-Owl
Many species of birds including Hairy Woodpeckers and Northern Pygmy-Owls tend to sport lower contrast plumage in shady and/or wet areas. This allows the birds to be better camouflaged in such areas. The Rocky Mountain cousins of this Northwest Pygmy-Owl show grayish brown in place of the warm browns.
You can learn more about all North American Owls in the award-winning book, “Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls.

Woodpecker Wednesday: Strickland’s Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus stricklandi)A male guards its nets cavity in a standing de...
08/12/2026

Woodpecker Wednesday: Strickland’s Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus stricklandi)
A male guards its nets cavity in a standing dead tree (snag) which are in short supply within its limited range in high elevation open and semi-open pine forests of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt of central and eastern Mexico. You can learn more about this species and all others of Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, the United States and Canada in latest book, “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers”

08/08/2026

We're proud to announce that five of our titles are 2025 Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award winners!

All Humans Outside by Tommy Corey: GOLD in Multicultural
Wild in Seattle by David B. Williams: GOLD in Regional
Spare these Stones by Andrew Kornylak: SILVER in Regional
Woodpecker by Paul Bannick Photography: SILVER in Nature
Crisis on Mount Hood by Christopher Van Tilburg: SILVER in Adventure, Sports

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