What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds Paperback – June 4, 2024

Great writing to bring complex subjects to a popular audience. I love to photograph local owls and this book helped me understand some of the behaviors I’ve seen and taught me to look for behaviors I hadn’t noticed in the past.

Extremely enjoyable, because owls are so interesting. The title suggests a somewhat mystical emphasis, but it's just a sort of "things about owls" book, incorporating information from a lot of very clever behavioral science, with good clear narration by the author. It was a pleasant read. The researchers like owls; the author likes owls; and the reader is bound to feel the same.It also elevated my already very high RESPECT for owls as a group and as individuals ... their individual cleverness and their beautiful adaptation to various circumstances.

This is an interesting book written in sprightly prose, with just enough personal anecdotes, relating to both Ackerman and the researchers and their volunteers. One volunteer is particularly adept in identifying the small variations in owl hoots so as to track individuals from sound activated recordings; many people can sight read notes, but she can hear the “music” from a spectrogram (she was a trained musician who had to give up playing because of an illness).Owls are the least studied of the raptors, but much is known. One major problem in studying owls is how well they can camouflage abetted by roosting in difficult to spot locations. Also, many do not come back to the same spots to nest each year, rather looking for density of prey. Modern technologies are currently being used in detecting them, but one effective approach was to train a dog to sniff out the pellets owls ejected in defecation in roosting and nesting spots.Dealing with the broad spectrum of species, the natural approach is to devote each chapter to a topic like migration, which is what Ackerman does later in the book. Incidentally, owl migration is often sex specific. The females fly south to fatten up for the demanding act of reproduction, while males may stay close to nesting grounds to be early in staking out territories for the next year, hoping to survive till until spring. Within at least one specie, there is assortment by size: smaller females actually seek out smaller mates. The likely explanation is that this helps the species survive, as being small helps in years in which food is scarce.I do not think Ackerman did a good job in the chapter on owl intelligence, so this is my summary based on what I learned from the book. By intelligence I am excluding genetic based super skills which owls have, such as being able to detect and locate rodents through a thick snow cover, which requires coping with the bending of sound waves that snow produces. Owlets can spend 6 weeks or even 6 months, depending on specie, learning from their parents before independence, usually a sign of intelligence. Some owls have learned to migrate north in winter to find spots where birds and fish congregate; other species have learned to take advantage of human settlements. Some species can distinguish humans, and will not react to neighborhood farmers they are used to, but will take fright from strangers including researchers. On the other hand, if an owlet falls from a nest, the parents typically ignore it, reacting only to the demands from those owlets still in the nest. Conversely, young barn owls are known to switch nests if they aren’t getting enough food from their own parents. Owl vocalizations are generally accepted as genetically inherited, not learned.

The author has written about nature and science. She has written several books specifically about birds. This book focuses only on owls, a bird that appears in all continents except Antarctica. It is difficult to observe, count and study owls. They are primarily insectivores or carnivores and are most active at night and during the early dawn. Due to their high canopy nests and protective coloration, owls are almost impossible to detect. Some owls dig ground burrows and even they are difficult to find. The flight of owls is absolutely silent which makes them successful predators.Owls make vocalizations beyond hoots and experts have been able to interpret several of these. There are many fascinating details in each chapter and crisp photographs of owls in flight or nesting. There are detailed notes and an index at the end.Owls are ubiquitous in art and folklore of many countries. In some cultures, an owl sighting is considered fortuitous and in others an omen of doom or even death. The actions of humans have threatened the very existence of owls. Deforestation, over use of rodenticides, climate change, urbanization and the purposeful killing of owls for medicine or cultural rituals have reduced the population of owls worldwide. This comprehensive and insightful work, should prove important in the study and preservation of this fascinating but endangered species.

Excellent book about owls.

This book is wonderful! It was not what I expected. I expected straightforward information, which is what I’m used to when I get books on animals or plant life. And that type of information is just fine. This book, though, is written from a persons point of view who studies owls. Yes, there is some straightforward information, but one nice thing is it explained HOW the information is gotten. You don’t only learn about owls, you learn to appreciate them.You learn of the characteristics of each species. You learn what they eat, how they nab their prey. Each species has its own way of doing things. Yes, this book is much, much more than just facts. It’s written by someone who loves owls. It puts you in their shoes.

Wonderful book. So many interesting facts. It really was a joy to read. I felt I learned alot. Will reference it time and again. Absolutely recommend.

Highly recommend this book!