What an Owl Knows The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds

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 For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our
fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented more than
thirty thousand years ago in the Chauvet Cave paintings in southern France.
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? Though our fascination goes back
centuries, scientists have only recently begun to understand in deep detail
the complex nature of these extraordinary birds. 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 in the dark
of night. Jennifer Ackerman illuminates the rich biology and natural
history of these birds and reveals remarkable new scientific discoveries
about their brains and behavior. She 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. We now know that the hoots, squawks, and chitters of owls
follow sophisticated and complex rules, allowing them to express not just
their needs and desires but their individuality and identity. Owls duet.
They migrate. They hoard their prey. Some live in underground burrows; some
roost in large groups; some dine on black widows and scorpions. Ackerman
brings this research alive with her own personal field observations about
owls and dives deep into why these birds beguile us. What an Owl Knows is
an awe-inspiring exploration of owls across the globe and through human
history, and a spellbinding account of their astonishing hunting skills,
communication, and sensory prowess. By providing extraordinary new insights
into the science of owls, What an Owl Knows pulls back the curtain on the
nature of the world’s most enigmatic group of birds.