An instant New York Times bestseller, What An Owl Knows is an exciting exploration of the new science of owls and an investigation into why these remarkable and mysterious birds exert such a hold on the 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? This book tells the extraordinary story of how we’ve come to understand owls, their biology, brains, and behavior, and explores many of the surprising new scientific discoveries: how owls talk to one another, how they ‘see’ sound, how they court their mates in wild and outlandish ways and fiercely protect their nests, how they migrate huge distances and survive the radically changing conditions of our planet. In U.S., order book here. For UK edition, order here. For Australian edition, order here.

If your organization is interested in inviting me to give a popular talk about the book (illustrated with wonderful photos and videos and featuring owl hoots and other vocalizations), please contact me for more information.

What an Owl Knows was selected as 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

• Winner of a 2024 Gold Nautilus Book Award, Animals & Nature

• 2023 National Outdoor Book Award in Outdoor Literature

Below is a little trailer for the book, with narration drawn from the audiobook:

Reviews

“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

- - -

“[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… 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