“I dare say a flock of books on owls has been produced over the past several decades,” notes author Tony Angell in the foreword to his volume The House of Owls. “With good reason,” he adds: “owls are fascinating subjects.” This book is a welcome addition to the cadre: Angell approaches owls with admiration, biological and ecological understanding, care, and familiarity. The House of Owls is a lovely combination of personal narrative, natural history, overview guide, and visual treasure.

The first half of the book is a presentation of the natural history of owls, divided into two sections. The author describes his firsthand experience as his family observed nesting western screech owls for a quarter of a century. Readers rejoice with the author in the success of the occupants of “The Fortress,” a homemade owl-nesting box. Over the …