WHAT AN OWL KNOWS explores what we’ve learned in the past decade or two about owls , those enigmatic, fascinating, and elusive birds.  It looks at how owls communicate— in much more complicated ways than we ever imagined, how they court, mate, raise their young, whether they act from instinct alone or from intelligence and learning, how they relate to one another—and to us. And it explores the people obsessed with these magnificent birds, from biologists and conservationists who have devoted their lives to owls, to citizen scientists like Steve Hiro, a retired heart surgeon who is now one of the foremost experts on the breeding biology of Northern Pygmy Owls and Marjon Savelsberg, a Dutch musician, classically trained, who has focused her skilled ear on the world of owl vocalizations. And also people who work one-on-one with owls to heal them if they’re injured or train them to be animal ambassadors. The book is about what we’ve learned about some of the deepest mysteries of owl biology and behavior, their individuality, personality, emotions, and intelligence.

• An instant New York Times bestseller!

• A New York Times Notable Book of 2023

• Chosen as a BEST BOOK of 2023 by:

  The Economist

  The Times of London

  NPR’s Science Friday

  Publisher’s Weekly

  Amazon (Science)

  Birding Magazine

• 2024 Gold Nautilus Book Award, Animals & Nature

• 2023 National Outdoor Book Award in Outdoor Literature

• “Ackerman is a warm and companionable guide, so enthusiastic about her subject that I suspect even the avian-indifferent will be charmed by her encounters with owls and the dedicated people who study them.” —The New York Times

• “Lively and informative . . . While her straightforward style enables easy comprehension for the science-phobic, there is lyricism too . . . Her sense of wonder runs through the book.”—Times Literary Supplement

• “[Ackerman] offers an absorbing ear-tuft-to-tail appreciation of the raptor that Mary Oliver, a poet, called a ‘god of plunge and blood.’ Owls, it seems, know a lot. Ms. Ackerman draws on recent research to explain what and how.” —The Economist

• “Fascinating… Ackerman, a frequent contributor to National Geographic and the Smithsonian, is an intrepid reporter, hacking her way through dense undergrowth in Montana to find northern pygmy owls or getting covered in red dirt setting traps for burrowing owls in southern Brazil… At night, where I live in Herefordshire, we often hear a barn owl hooting in a stand of pine trees behind the house. It’s an eerie, mysterious sound that never fails to enchant. And it is this enchantment that is at the core of this charming, deeply researched book.”—The Guardian

• “A fascinating read on how scientists are beginning to better understand the lives and ecology of these secretive and rarely visible birds.” —Science

• “An enchanting guide.” —People

• “Jennifer is well known for her books, such as The Genius of Birds, so it is no surprise that her new title fits that 'bill'. Everyone who loves owls will adore it, and anyone reading it who isn't already will become a lover of owls, because it ticks all the boxes. Jennifer has pulled together all sorts of science, research, observations and cultural and artistic evidence, and it has paid off with yet another first-class publication. I work with Barn Owls myself, and now I love them even more after reading this.” —John Miles, Bird Watching Magazine

• “‘What is it about owls that so enthralls us?’… [Ackerman] explores this question with her trademark thoroughness and care, leading readers on an in-depth tour through the extraordinary world of owls… Edifying and immersive.”
  —Bookpage (starred review)

• “[A] masterful survey . . . There’s fascinating trivia on every page, making for a revelatory glimpse into the lives of the ‘enigmatic’ raptors. Bird lovers will be enthralled.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• “Fascinating food for thought for owl seekers and sure to please any lover of immersive treks into the lives of birds.” —Kirkus (starred review)

• From Booklist starred review: “Always eloquent and engaging, science writer Ackerman (The Bird Way, 2020) turns her attention to owls, those mysterious, nocturnal birds that everyone can recognize but few really know. Due to their cryptic plumage and nighttime habits, owls can be difficult to study, but new technologies and approaches have allowed researchers to discover their intimate lives. In this captivating survey of what makes an owl an owl and how different species "owl" in disparate ways, Ackerman delves into the biology and natural history of owls around the globe. She joins field scientists as they study owl adaptations; learn the vocabulary of hooting, chittering, and other owl vocalizations; observe courtship and chick rearing; and determine why some owls migrate, some stay put, and some join together in enormous roosts. One fascinating chapter delves into how much we've learned from captive, mostly rehabilitated, birds, while another answers the question of whether owls are truly wise. Ackerman's latest vivid and compelling narrative is enlivened by her own passion for owls and her excitement over discoveries in the wild that show that, for humans, owls continue to be full of surprises.”

• “Owl fans, rejoice: Jennifer Ackerman’s latest book, What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds, is the ultimate guide to all things feathered and nocturnal . . . Surprising and enthralling stories can be found on every page of What an Owl Knows . . . Those who enjoyed Ackerman’s previous books on bird behavior and intelligence, The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way, will be pleased to find that Ackerman’s writing is just as engaging and enthusiastic as ever; her genuine affection for her subjects infuses her descriptions of scientific studies of owls and the researchers who’ve carried them out . . . What an Owl Knows is an ideal introduction to these enigmatic and fascinating birds, sure to convert a whole new generation of owl lovers.” — American Birding Association

• “Ackerman (our smartest bird writer) should do for hooting what a wave of octopus books did for slithering.” — Chicago Tribune

• “A must-read for all bird lovers, Ackerman’s latest engaging work contains a feast of revelations about creatures that have fascinated us throughout human history.” —The Observer

• “With their largely nocturnal lifestyles, cryptic plumage and wary nature, owls can be difficult to locate, let alone study. But in recent years, discoveries about these mysterious and otherworldly birds have come thick and fast as radio trackers, infrared cameras, drones, audio lures, DNA analysis and even specially trained sniffer dogs have joined more traditional methods in unlocking their secrets. What an Owl Knows is an accessible, highly readable tour of these discoveries by Jennifer Ackerman.” — The Times of London

• “Ackerman is an excellent writer on the natural world, and in this wise and thoroughly researched book, her chapter on human-owl relations is especially fascinating.”— New Statesman

• “What an Owl Knows zips along merrily because Ackerman’s love for these birds is totally infectious… Long may they continue to fly through the darkness.” — Daily Mail

• “A scientific investigation rich in narrative detail. Her writing is at its most compelling when she lets her own delight and surprise at the birds slip through.” — New Scientist

• The New York Times

• The Times Literary Supplement

• The Atlantic

• The Guardian

• The Economist

• Science

• New Statesman

• BookPage

• Yale Alumni Magazine (by Richard Prum)

• Shelf Awareness

• Scientific Inquirer

• Natural History Book Service

• Australian Financial Review

• Laura Erickson’s review