Description

An instant New York Times bestseller

From the author of The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way a brilliant scientific investigation into owlsthe most elusive of birdsand 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 aweinspiring exploration of owls across the globe and through human history and a spellbinding account of the worlds most enigmatic group of birds