What An Owl Knows

From the author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way, a brilliant scientific investigation into owls--the most elusive of birds--and why they exert such a hold on human imagination For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls?

Scientists have only recently begun to understand the complex nature of these extraordinary birds. Over 260 species of owls exist today, but they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because they are cryptic, camouflaged, and mostly active in the dark of night.

In What An Owl Knows, Jennifer Ackerman illuminates the rich biology and natural history of these birds. She joins scientists in the field, exploring how researchers use modern technology and tools to learn how owls communicate, hunt, court, mate, raise their young, and move about from season to season. Ackerman brings this research alive with her own personal field observations about owls, diving deep into why these birds beguile us. What An Owl Knows is an exciting exploration of owls across the globe and through human history, pulling back the curtain on the world's most enigmatic birds.

352 pages. Hardcover. 

About the Author

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for more than three decades. Her previous book, The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think, was a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Ackerman's articles and essays have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, and many other publications.