What an Owl Knows

The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds

By: Jennifer Ackerman

Narrated by: Jennifer Ackerman

An instant New York Times bestseller!

A New York Times Notable Book of 2023

Named a Best Book of 2023 by Publishers Weekly

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

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? Some two hundred sixty species of owls exist today, and they reside on every continent except Antarctica, but they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because they are cryptic, camouflaged, and mostly active at night. Though human fascination with owls goes back centuries, scientists have only recently begun to understand the complex nature of these extraordinary birds.

In What an Owl Knows, Jennifer Ackerman joins scientists in the field and explores how researchers are using 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; the result is an awe-inspiring exploration of owls across the globe and through human history, and a spellbinding account of the world’s most enigmatic group of birds.

©2023 Jennifer Ackerman (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Few books can pull together academic summaries with the joy of seeing owls . . . Ackerman has been able to bring together the expertise of everyone interested in owls, from hobbyist, rehabilitators, veterinarians, photographers, owl-alcoholics, and researchers. She weaves together an enormous amount of information from an enormous number of people, to give us perhaps the best popular and fact-filled informational book on owls to date.”—Denver Holt, founder, Owl Research Institute

“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

“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. We learn that owlets begin making vocal sounds in the egg and that adult owls use sophisticated communication calls conveying their weight, sex, size and state of mind. Ackerman describes the strong maternal instincts owls display and outlines the environmental threats to these entrancing birds.”—The Guardian

Exceptional Book

A rich, fascinating account, well written and thoroughly researched; well read; and full of interesting details that convey the author’s deep commitment to these amazing birds.

Awesome story and excellent narration

Five star performance . Engaging narrator with a great sense of humor. Highly recommended. Fun.

Informative

Great survey of our beautiful owes broad in scope, wee-researched. Enjoyed it. Wonderful sensitivity to our endangered friends

Loved this book!

Thank you for writing this book. I benefited greatly! I loveeeeeee owls always and forever.

Enjoyed this.

Learned a lot about owls. Nice pace and well read. Enjoyable. Thanks to the author.

A book not to be missed

The magnificence of owls and their many species was worth learning about. The stories about the researchers were amazing. The author does an incredible job making this book interesting. It does not read like an encyclopedia.

Needs a different reader

Owls are amazing! I just wish the author had picked a professional reader. Her voice is a bit irritating.

Marvelous book beautifully narrated

Jennifer Ackerman’s writing is so evocative that I feel as though I just participated in an extraordinary field trip to study owls.

Owls Rule

I have been enamored of owls since early childhood. My grandmother convinced me that one lived in a large oak tree in our front yard. I have a large collection of glass and wooden owls. I love this book and what its knowledge added to my love of owls.

Learned so much about owls

Narrator was superb and accent for different languages was spot on. A very misunderstood species of bird around the world with lots of legends and myths that go against their true nature.