What An Owl Knows

by Jennifer Ackerman

Genres: Non-fiction, Science
Pages: 333

Synopsis:

'And if anyone knows anything about anything...it's Owl who knows something about something.' Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne

From prehistoric cave paintings to the prints and etchings of Picasso, owls have captivated and inspired us for millennia. Whether they appear as ancient Athenian symbols of wisdom, ghostly harbingers of death, or the cuddly sidekicks of Harry Potter and Winnie the Pooh, these birds have continued to fascinate and disturb us in equal measure.

Through revelatory new behavioural research, Jennifer Ackerman provides an intimate glimpse into these magnificent creatures' lives. From the evolutionary quirks behind their silent flight and rotating heads, to their romantic relationships and parenting styles, What an Owl Knows brings the rich natural history of owls to life. Deftly weaving together science and art, Ackerman journeys into the owl's moonlit world and asks: what is it about these birds that so enthrals us?

What an Owl Knows, by Jennifer Ackerman, is a fun exploration of owls as a species, how they’re adapted for what they do, how they’re adapting to changes made by humans, etc. There’s a certain amount of “oh wow I touched a bird” personal stuff, and canned biographies of people who’ve interacted with owls for various reasons, but also plenty of facts and discussion thereof.

I learned some fascinating things, e.g. the fact that some owl species will adopt the owlets of other pairs, if the owlet gets into their nest or somehow interacts with them demanding food — even if they don’t currently have owlets of their own. And the fact that some screech owls grab blind snakes (they’re tiny) and use them as nest cleaners, resulting in healthier, quicker-growing owlets.

It also contradicts some other stuff I was reading lately about owls being stupid, pointing out that they have small, densely packed neurons, as some other birds do — allowing a high degree of intelligence, even if their kind of intelligence isn’t as readily measured as that of primates or crows.

Overall, enjoyable and informative, if sometimes a bit padded with filler-statements about the majesticness of owls (you can only take it so often, even when it’s true).

Rating: 3/5