Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl
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- Create Date：2021-05-31 06:19:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jonathan C. Slaght
- ISBN：125079871X
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Summary
A field scientist and conservationist tracks the elusive Blakiston's Fish Owl in the forbidding reaches of eastern Russia。
I saw my first Blakiston’s fish owl in the Russian province of Primorye， a coastal talon of land hooking south into the belly of Northeast Asia 。 。 。 No scientist had seen a Blakiston’s fish owl so far south in a hundred years 。 。 。
When he was just a fledgling birdwatcher， Jonathan C。 Slaght had a chance encounter with one of the most mysterious birds on Earth。 Bigger than any owl he knew， it looked like a small bear with decorative feathers。 He snapped a quick photo and shared it with experts。 Soon he was on a five-year journey， searching for this enormous， enigmatic creature in the lush， remote forests of eastern Russia。 That first sighting set his calling as a scientist。
Despite a wingspan of six feet and a height of over two feet， the Blakiston’s fish owl is highly elusive。 They are easiest to find in winter， when their tracks mark the snowy banks of the rivers where they feed。 They are also endangered。 And so， as Slaght and his devoted team set out to locate the owls， they aim to craft a conservation plan that helps ensure the species’ survival。 This quest sends them on all-night monitoring missions in freezing tents， mad dashes across thawing rivers， and free-climbs up rotting trees to check nests for precious eggs。 They use cutting-edge tracking technology and improvise ingenious traps。 And all along， they must keep watch against a run-in with a bear or an Amur tiger。 At the heart of Slaght’s story are the fish owls themselves: cunning hunters， devoted parents， singers of eerie duets， and survivors in a harsh and shrinking habitat。
Through this rare glimpse into the everyday life of a field scientist and conservationist， Owls of the Eastern Ice testifies to the determination and creativity essential to scientific advancement and serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty， strength， and vulnerability of the natural world。
I saw my first Blakiston’s fish owl in the Russian province of Primorye， a coastal talon of land hooking south into the belly of Northeast Asia 。 。 。 No scientist had seen a Blakiston’s fish owl so far south in a hundred years 。 。 。
When he was just a fledgling birdwatcher， Jonathan C。 Slaght had a chance encounter with one of the most mysterious birds on Earth。 Bigger than any owl he knew， it looked like a small bear with decorative feathers。 He snapped a quick photo and shared it with experts。 Soon he was on a five-year journey， searching for this enormous， enigmatic creature in the lush， remote forests of eastern Russia。 That first sighting set his calling as a scientist。
Despite a wingspan of six feet and a height of over two feet， the Blakiston’s fish owl is highly elusive。 They are easiest to find in winter， when their tracks mark the snowy banks of the rivers where they feed。 They are also endangered。 And so， as Slaght and his devoted team set out to locate the owls， they aim to craft a conservation plan that helps ensure the species’ survival。 This quest sends them on all-night monitoring missions in freezing tents， mad dashes across thawing rivers， and free-climbs up rotting trees to check nests for precious eggs。 They use cutting-edge tracking technology and improvise ingenious traps。 And all along， they must keep watch against a run-in with a bear or an Amur tiger。 At the heart of Slaght’s story are the fish owls themselves: cunning hunters， devoted parents， singers of eerie duets， and survivors in a harsh and shrinking habitat。
Through this rare glimpse into the everyday life of a field scientist and conservationist， Owls of the Eastern Ice testifies to the determination and creativity essential to scientific advancement and serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty， strength， and vulnerability of the natural world。
Reviews
Peter Henry
，
This guy loves owls！
Rebecca Harris
，
Surprisingly exciting and hard to put down！
Diane Barnes
，
This was a library book I downloaded to check it out and see what I thought。 I thought highly enough of the first few chapters to keep reading to the end。 Who knew those mild mannered naturalists were such a hardy breed themselves， braving ice and snow， raging rivers during the thaw， roaming tigers， and crazy Russian villagers to collect the data needed to help conserve the Blackiston Fish Owl， only found in parts of Russia and Japan。 They are the largest owls in existence and little was known a This was a library book I downloaded to check it out and see what I thought。 I thought highly enough of the first few chapters to keep reading to the end。 Who knew those mild mannered naturalists were such a hardy breed themselves， braving ice and snow， raging rivers during the thaw， roaming tigers， and crazy Russian villagers to collect the data needed to help conserve the Blackiston Fish Owl， only found in parts of Russia and Japan。 They are the largest owls in existence and little was known about their habits until just recently。 Hooray for naturalists！ And who knew they could drink so much vodka！This book goes into the category "Rather read about it than do it myself"。 。。。more
Cassandra
，
Firstly， this book is a hoot！ I didn't expect the author to have so many stories and such a cast of characters。 Secondly， it's surprisingly fast paced for a story of a few years of fieldwork and completing a master's thesis。 Nature， poachers and interpersonal relationships make for engaging challenges and delights。 I couldn't find the photos from the print edition in the ebook that I borrowed from the library。 I bought this book for my significant other who loves birds of prey as a birthday gift Firstly， this book is a hoot！ I didn't expect the author to have so many stories and such a cast of characters。 Secondly， it's surprisingly fast paced for a story of a few years of fieldwork and completing a master's thesis。 Nature， poachers and interpersonal relationships make for engaging challenges and delights。 I couldn't find the photos from the print edition in the ebook that I borrowed from the library。 I bought this book for my significant other who loves birds of prey as a birthday gift。 We read it simultaneously， though he finished a bit before me。 At the end， my partner was sad it was over and lamented that the book was not longer。 We shared many laughs and enjoyed comparing our experiences enjoying this book。 One evening， he was sitting reading and just burst out laughing， and kept chuckling to himself。 I also laughed at the first question from Anatoliy about how did Jonathan sleep？ I'm still laughing。 One exciting bit for me explained the amount of trees around rivers。 It connected an article I read coincidentally about how beavers help salmon population。 At the end， when Jonathan describes his data analysis work， I nodded along to the four months of just data preparation and getting acquainted with the software。 When he described the things he learned from the study， I found myself smiling along， almost as if I had been on the journey。 It was so rewarding to get all these insights and make these discoveries。I hope that more funds make it to Fish Owl preservation。 。。。more
Andy Smith
，
Jonathan Slaght is an American wildlife biologist who spent years in a effort to find and preserve the Blackison’s fish owl， a fish-eating raptor that is the largest owl in the world。 Because it’s prey is underwater， it doesn’t have the aerodynamic sleekness of most owls， but is a huge mass of wild feathers and talons。It lives in one of the most isolated places on earth， the forests of Russia’s Far East， where Russia， China and North Korea meet。 Slaght and a motley crew of Russian assistants tra Jonathan Slaght is an American wildlife biologist who spent years in a effort to find and preserve the Blackison’s fish owl， a fish-eating raptor that is the largest owl in the world。 Because it’s prey is underwater， it doesn’t have the aerodynamic sleekness of most owls， but is a huge mass of wild feathers and talons。It lives in one of the most isolated places on earth， the forests of Russia’s Far East， where Russia， China and North Korea meet。 Slaght and a motley crew of Russian assistants track， briefly capture， and attach GPS monitors to the birds to follow their movements。 Slaght and Co。 endure blizzards， floods， balky equipment， bad drivers as they track the elusive owls。 The science is interesting， and important， but more fun were Slaght’s encounters with the hermits， hunters， loggers， and eccentrics who found their way to this wild and isolated region。 There was the hermit Anatoliy，，for example， who may have had a criminal past， may also have been a KGB informer， and believed in mystical creatures who lived deep in mountain caves。 Or Slaght’s assistant Andrey， who had a thing about urinals and urinating。It’s an odd culture， often revolving around vodka， cigarettes and the banya， or Russian sauna。 Occasionally Slaght offers just a hint of his life in America， but mostly sticks to the river valleys and forests of Russia。 Bonus: some wonderful color pictures， particularly of the owls themselves。 。。。more
Mary Wherry
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Audiobook。 First I had paper book but small printing was not for me。I liked the audiobook and sometimes found it fascinating and sometimes repetitous。
♥ Sandi ❣t
，
3。5 starsSet in the Primorye Province of Russia， this nonfiction book gives great insight into the habitat and activities of the Blakiston's Fish Owl。 Determined to make this owl the subject of his PH。D。， Jonathan Slaght spent four years studying the fish owl in this Russian region。 This owl being one of the most understudied birds and largest owls known are also one of the hardest to find and study。 Slaght needed the help of many local people - most being hunters and woodsmen。 The last portion 3。5 starsSet in the Primorye Province of Russia， this nonfiction book gives great insight into the habitat and activities of the Blakiston's Fish Owl。 Determined to make this owl the subject of his PH。D。， Jonathan Slaght spent four years studying the fish owl in this Russian region。 This owl being one of the most understudied birds and largest owls known are also one of the hardest to find and study。 Slaght needed the help of many local people - most being hunters and woodsmen。 The last portion of the study was to capture and tag these owls for future sightings and study。 I found that to be the most interesting part of the book。 The book also included a number of color pictures of both the owls and the men involved in helping Slaght with his study。 Parts of this book was pretty intense。 I would say that it would be most enjoyable for a conservationist or bird enthusiast。 However， I also found parts of the books and story to be enjoyable to the lay person。 。。。more
David H。
，
This is a very cool look at how ornithologists do field work， made the more interesting by the bird （the Blakiston's fish owl） and the location （the Russian Far East）。 Slaght is an engaging writer， and his love for the birds and the region really shine through。 I was fascinated to see the difficulty not just of trying to capture birds but also to study them in general--it's a lot of work， but also a lot of sitting and a lot of painstaking data collection。。 He also meets some rather interesting c This is a very cool look at how ornithologists do field work， made the more interesting by the bird （the Blakiston's fish owl） and the location （the Russian Far East）。 Slaght is an engaging writer， and his love for the birds and the region really shine through。 I was fascinated to see the difficulty not just of trying to capture birds but also to study them in general--it's a lot of work， but also a lot of sitting and a lot of painstaking data collection。。 He also meets some rather interesting characters as he treks around the Russian wilderness in winter。 Recommended for anyone interested in nature or how scientists work in the field。 。。。more
Marga Luna
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 great intro to nature writing that is accessible to those who are not well versed in conservation such as myself。 reading this more than a decade since their research began also made me wonder how technology has improved conservation - do they still have to put painstaking work into searching for and trapping animals so they can track and record their data？ hopefully not because it would really interesting to learn more accounts on conservation。 i admit that Owls of the Eastern Ice can， at times great intro to nature writing that is accessible to those who are not well versed in conservation such as myself。 reading this more than a decade since their research began also made me wonder how technology has improved conservation - do they still have to put painstaking work into searching for and trapping animals so they can track and record their data？ hopefully not because it would really interesting to learn more accounts on conservation。 i admit that Owls of the Eastern Ice can， at times， get tedious but it’s reflective of how much repetitive and arduous legwork is involved in efforts to conserve a single specie that not many people have heard of。 not every day on the field bears fruit and these scientists faced a lot of disappointment - and danger， both natural and manmade - just to understand fish owls a little bit better in hopes of saving them from extinction。 。。。more
Kirsten Nelson
，
I've been trying to get outside more during the pandemic， and part of going outside more involves seeing tons of birds。 So， the suggestion to read this for a book club seemed like a good idea。 I haven't read a ton of nature writing before （I think Bill Bryson is about the extent of my nature reading）， so the fact that Slaght's writing wasn't overly scientific was a plus for me。 His passion for the "defiant， floppy goblin" owls is evident throughout。 Also， the owls truly do look like goblins。 It' I've been trying to get outside more during the pandemic， and part of going outside more involves seeing tons of birds。 So， the suggestion to read this for a book club seemed like a good idea。 I haven't read a ton of nature writing before （I think Bill Bryson is about the extent of my nature reading）， so the fact that Slaght's writing wasn't overly scientific was a plus for me。 His passion for the "defiant， floppy goblin" owls is evident throughout。 Also， the owls truly do look like goblins。 It's amazing。 。。。more
Jo
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I enjoyed this book， not because the writing was fantastic （it wasn't）， but because it opened a window onto Ph。D。 fieldwork， wildlife conservation， and rural Russian personalities。 The author seems like a neat person， and I'm glad he brought us along on his adventures。 I enjoyed this book， not because the writing was fantastic （it wasn't）， but because it opened a window onto Ph。D。 fieldwork， wildlife conservation， and rural Russian personalities。 The author seems like a neat person， and I'm glad he brought us along on his adventures。 。。。more
Nina
，
Every winter， my husband and I spend some time prowling the frozen boglands of northern Minnesota looking for owls （ideally great greys， but we love them all）。 Temperatures in the area have been known to drop below -40F during the winter and the snow can get pretty deep sometimes， but the challenges my husband and I encounter on our owl hunts seem trivial compared to the hardships that Jonathan Slaght faced during the years he spent researching the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl in the remote w Every winter， my husband and I spend some time prowling the frozen boglands of northern Minnesota looking for owls （ideally great greys， but we love them all）。 Temperatures in the area have been known to drop below -40F during the winter and the snow can get pretty deep sometimes， but the challenges my husband and I encounter on our owl hunts seem trivial compared to the hardships that Jonathan Slaght faced during the years he spent researching the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl in the remote wilderness of the Primorye forest at the southeast corner of Russia。 He really earned his PhD the hard way。 Russian winters have defeated some of the most powerful armies in history。 A graduate student studying rare owls shouldn’t have had a chance。 The first half of the book feels like a travelogue cum sociological exploration of post-Soviet Russia， with infobytes about fish owls sprinkled around like confetti on a table at a wedding reception。 The second half of the book is where the proverbial rubber hits the proverbial road， with a lot of emphasis on the ecological implications of his research and the conservation plans he helped develop for the species。 I enjoyed the second half more than the first half， but it was all entertaining and informative。 Highly recommended for anyone who likes owls or for anyone who wants to know what they need to do if they’re hanging out with some Russians and someone puts a bottle of vodka on the table。 。。。more
Keith Taylor
，
I am a sucker for the accounts of field work by biologists。 And when they are in rough country that is a blank spot on my personal map -- all the better。 And this is a very interesting account of the effort to study Blakiston's Fish Owl， the largest， and least known owl in the world。 Out at the far eastern edge of Russia， next to the Sea of Japan。 Slaght did his PhD work on this owl， most of which was spent finding the owls， figuring out a way to capture them to attach GPS trackers， and getting I am a sucker for the accounts of field work by biologists。 And when they are in rough country that is a blank spot on my personal map -- all the better。 And this is a very interesting account of the effort to study Blakiston's Fish Owl， the largest， and least known owl in the world。 Out at the far eastern edge of Russia， next to the Sea of Japan。 Slaght did his PhD work on this owl， most of which was spent finding the owls， figuring out a way to capture them to attach GPS trackers， and getting the first sense of their basic habitat needs。 This would be enough for his dissertation， and enough to start some conservation plans for that vast and unforgiving area of forest， mountain， and winter。 I think he did a good job getting a sense of that landscape， with just a smattering of information about other birds， some mammals （including the Asian tiger）， etc。 But I did wish for a bit more of this。Of course， any book about field work is going to have to deal with the tedium of waiting and amassing data。 That is enlivened here by the characters involved， mostly wonderful drunken Russians from the far east， and by the effort to stay warm， even alive， during the winter， the only time that field work is practical in that place。 When I think of this kind of book， I am always reminded of the productive contrast between Matthiessen's "Snow Leopard，" and George Schaller's "Stones of Silence，" which both recount the same trip。 Schaller is the field biologist。 I remember one time he wrote， contrasting himself to Matthiessen， that "my job is to watch sheep。" I deeply respect that。 And "Owls of the Eastern Ice" is definitely in Schaller's line （and I'll bet Slaght would be very pleased to find himself there！）。 Nonetheless， I felt that Slaght's book might have been enlivened with just a little bit more of Matthiessen's willingness to go after larger contexts。 Very glad that right near the end he got to his recommendations for conservation， and how practical those recommendations are， how they take into account the needs of the people in the region even as they are very clear about what these spectacular owls。 need。 。。。more
Dennis
，
This seems really interesting to me。 I am only on page 36。
Julie
，
This book is an interesting introduction to fish owls and the field of bird conservation， and an entertaining look at the realities of field work。 The author clearly has a passion for wildlife， but also has a sense of humor and insight into human nature which keep the reader engaged。 I came away with a sense of respect for scientists who put up with the hardships of life outdoors and do their work in a forest instead of in a lab， and with a sense of hopefulness for the fish owls they are working This book is an interesting introduction to fish owls and the field of bird conservation， and an entertaining look at the realities of field work。 The author clearly has a passion for wildlife， but also has a sense of humor and insight into human nature which keep the reader engaged。 I came away with a sense of respect for scientists who put up with the hardships of life outdoors and do their work in a forest instead of in a lab， and with a sense of hopefulness for the fish owls they are working to protect。 。。。more
Maisie Iven
，
So good！ There’s such clear passion in this narrative and it reads more on the memoir end of science writing which helps both the humans and owls of this story sparkle with personality。 Bumping it down a star because it sometimes spends too long on details that felt like we maybe didn’t need to know （did we need so much info on a field assistants urine fetish？？ Easy answer， no）。
Andrew Blok
，
This book seamlessly weaves biology and conservation with stories of eastern Russia that seem， to my American understanding， unexpected， improbable and fantastic。 Everything covered in this book （except maybe Minnesota） feels rare and exciting。 It's a pleasure to follow Jon Slaght on his PhD research。Blakiston's fish owls are the largest and one of the rarest owls on earth。 They eat salmon and survive in the （sometimes） frozen forests of northeastern Asia， mostly Russia and Japan。 Slaght uses on This book seamlessly weaves biology and conservation with stories of eastern Russia that seem， to my American understanding， unexpected， improbable and fantastic。 Everything covered in this book （except maybe Minnesota） feels rare and exciting。 It's a pleasure to follow Jon Slaght on his PhD research。Blakiston's fish owls are the largest and one of the rarest owls on earth。 They eat salmon and survive in the （sometimes） frozen forests of northeastern Asia， mostly Russia and Japan。 Slaght uses one of my all time favorite descriptors for them: "floppy goblins。" They're elusive and powerful， poorly understood and pressured by human development and expansion。 In reading this book， you get to journey along as Slaght and his colleagues conduct some of the first science on them。 You're along for the scientific discoveries。Even more enjoyable， in my opinion， is the cast of characters you get to meet。 The garrulous field assistant who talks for twelve hours through the night。 The man who lives alone in the woods exploring messages from white-robed folks beneath the mountain。 The nearly-nude bather in a radon spring who enthusiastically greets the researchers with a hug。 This book is a great introduction to both a rare and fascinating bird and a surprising and delightful chunk of eastern Russia。 。。。more
Ellen
，
I listened to the audio version
James Empson
，
I can see why this book is loved: the bizarre subject matter of studying fish owls in the Russian Far East together with the bizarre Russian characters who work with the American PhD student。 But， in the end， the material is still sufficiently arcane to warrant interest from those genuinely interested in the subject matter。 Maybe it was a better short story than a book that in the final chapters describes research methods， visits from doctoral supervisors and even the outline of a conservation p I can see why this book is loved: the bizarre subject matter of studying fish owls in the Russian Far East together with the bizarre Russian characters who work with the American PhD student。 But， in the end， the material is still sufficiently arcane to warrant interest from those genuinely interested in the subject matter。 Maybe it was a better short story than a book that in the final chapters describes research methods， visits from doctoral supervisors and even the outline of a conservation plan。 。。。more
Kristen
，
DNF; maybe i am too used to field work， but this could have done with some editing and bigger-picture framing。 The first half was enough to give me a sense of the cool field work and animal， but i didn't need anymore of the day-by-day description。 DNF; maybe i am too used to field work， but this could have done with some editing and bigger-picture framing。 The first half was enough to give me a sense of the cool field work and animal， but i didn't need anymore of the day-by-day description。 。。。more
Carol Chapman
，
Fascinating account of an American PhD student's struggles while doing his dissertation research on the world's largest owl in a remote part of Russia。 Fascinating account of an American PhD student's struggles while doing his dissertation research on the world's largest owl in a remote part of Russia。 。。。more
Micky McGill
，
A most adventurous story。 Hair-raising travel through the Russian wilderness to study the world's biggest owls。 A most engaging story from the descriptions of the wilderness， the relationships with his fellow scientists and the people they meet along the way。 A most adventurous story。 Hair-raising travel through the Russian wilderness to study the world's biggest owls。 A most engaging story from the descriptions of the wilderness， the relationships with his fellow scientists and the people they meet along the way。 。。。more
Elise
，
Giant owls， conservation， harrowing encounters with nature， fascinating humans。 What’s not to like？！ Moves along at a nice pace and wasn’t dry at all to me。 Very cool to learn about this region in Russia and the incredible species there。
Debbie Urbanski
，
I found this book to be an intimate glimpse into field work， conservation， the remoteness of Primorye， Russia， and the excitement of discovering more about a little-known species， the elusive and endangered fish owl。 I listened to the audiobook， narrated in an enjoyable fashion by the author-- though I'm glad that I also checked the print book out from the library， or else I would have missed a fabulous spread of photographs of the fish owl and the landscape of Primorye。 I suppose if a reader is I found this book to be an intimate glimpse into field work， conservation， the remoteness of Primorye， Russia， and the excitement of discovering more about a little-known species， the elusive and endangered fish owl。 I listened to the audiobook， narrated in an enjoyable fashion by the author-- though I'm glad that I also checked the print book out from the library， or else I would have missed a fabulous spread of photographs of the fish owl and the landscape of Primorye。 I suppose if a reader is looking for an adrenaline-filled outdoor book in the spirit of Jon Krakauer， they might be disappointed。 The pace of this book is meditative and somewhat cyclical， as I imagine field work might be。 （"Fieldwork is often regular repetition of challenging or unpleasant activities， an application of persistent pressure to a question until the answer finally emerges，" writes Salght）。 But I for one loved the meditative quality of this book， and I found the balance of the personal and the external to be nicely done， and the descriptions of the landscape to be wonderfully precise and evocative。 Slaght's love for this part of Russia and his commitment to saving the fish owl definitely shines through。 。。。more
Tasha
，
I enjoyed this despite probably not being the target audience and learned that I never want to go to a field expedition to Russia。
Matt DiGennaro
，
I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for humans to wrap their heads around the importance of protecting other species and our environment in general。 It’s a really simple concept。 Good thing for people like Jonathan， or else we’d already have nothing beautiful left。
Ren
，
This is worth a read - made me wish I did something this cool and actually impactful for my graduate research。 But I always find this type of book odd， given that I've gone through it myself。 I wonder how much dialogue and scenes are embellished， or if the author literally took notes every day with the intent to turn it into a novel。 I love to see interest in biological field work from the general public， so I'd love to see tons more of these memoirs get big。 But I also don't always enjoy readin This is worth a read - made me wish I did something this cool and actually impactful for my graduate research。 But I always find this type of book odd， given that I've gone through it myself。 I wonder how much dialogue and scenes are embellished， or if the author literally took notes every day with the intent to turn it into a novel。 I love to see interest in biological field work from the general public， so I'd love to see tons more of these memoirs get big。 But I also don't always enjoy reading them because of my bad memories from grad school and definitely a bit of jealousy that my project wasn't so awesome。 。。。more
Kara Mae Brown
，
This book， along with my recent foray into citizen science， has me pretty upset about my childhood science education。 If I knew science was so much tromping around in the woods taking pictures and notes， I might have made different decisions。 Which is to say， this book was great。 Travelogue that took me deep into the unfamiliar territory of Primorye， Russia plus science writing that acquainted me with the elusive fish owl。
Carolann Murphy
，
Very engaging read I really enjoyed Slatt’s account of his research on fish owls。 His descriptions of Russia’s terrain and the many characters he encounters made for a lively read。 I learned a lot about fish owls， what it will take to protect them， and how challenging it is to do this kind of field research。 Anyone interested in birds， wildlife and conservation will like this book。
Jerad
，